Wales have called on their fifth-choice loosehead prop as they prepare for their fourth and final Test against southern hemisphere opposition this month, relieved that South Africa also have problems in the front row.
Paul James, who started last weekend’s Test against New Zealand, is unavailable because Saturday’s match at the Millennium Stadium falls outside the official international window and he has returned to Bath. Gethin Jenkins, who missed the defeat because of a hamstring strain, will be assessed on Thursday while the replacement against the All Blacks, Nicky Smith, suffered a chest injury minutes after coming on.
With Rhys Gill also unavailable because he plays for Saracens and Premiership clubs will not release players for Tests arranged outside the official period, Wales called up the Scarlets’ prop Rob Evans for training on Monday while saying they hope Jenkins, a Lion with 109 Wales caps to his name, will be fit.
South Africa will be without their tight-head prop Jannie du Plessis, who has not recovered from a hamstring injury he suffered against England this month, and they were already without their two back-up players in the position, Frans Malherbe and Marcel van der Merwe.
“Nicky is having a scan and Gethin will be looked at in training,” said the Wales attack coach, Rob Howley. “The first day back was a case of looking at x-rays, scans and treatment plans to assess where players were at. Rob has been called up for training for the first two days this week. We have had a succession plan since 2009, which involves the next four or five players in their respective positions, and he is part of that.”
Wales also have injury problems behind the scrum after the gruelling encounter with the All Blacks. The wing George North suffered a head injury and is under the concussion protocol, the scrum-half Rhys Webb left the field with a groin strain and the full-back Leigh Halfpenny injured a shoulder. “They will all be assessed,” Howley said.
Wales have one more opportunity to end their long losing run against the southern hemisphere’s big three before next year’s World Cup, when they will be in the same group as Australia. They were leading the All Blacks with 10 minutes to go but finished 18 points behind and their head coach, Warren Gatland, bristled in a post-match television interview when asked if he felt under pressure because of the 26th consecutive defeat.
“It was one of the best Test matches I have seen,” Howley said. “Talking to the All Blacks management and players afterwards, one of them said we got under their skin. We went toe-to-toe with the best side in world rugby and they showed why they were best in the final 10 minutes through their ability to find space and kick to it.
“Ultimately, it is a game of 80 minutes and we came up short again but the attitude of the players, the physicality and the skill-set, were outstanding.
“We kept their 10, 12 and 13 quiet and did not allow them to get away from us when the game became an arm wrestle in the third quarter, the biggest thing for me because it is the period when they look to pull away.
“South Africa will be very physical and they are a world-class side. They may be missing a few players but they have strength in depth and we are expecting no different to what we came up against on tour there in the summer.”
Wales were soundly beaten in the first Test but the following week led by 17 points at one stage and were 13 ahead with nine minutes to go before succumbing to two late tries. They have defeated South Africa only once in the 108 years the fixture has been played – in 1999 when Howley was a player.
“Saturday is not about revenge for what happened in Nelspruit,” Howley said. “We always look forward and we have to consider what might happen in the World Cup if we lose a group game and face South Africa in the quarter-final.”