Wales have received a timely boost with the news Samson Lee is set to be fit for the Rugby World Cup.
Lee ruptured his Achilles against Ireland during the Six Nations and such was the severity of the injury, his World Cup prospects were hanging by a thread. With Adam Jones now retired from international rugby, Warren Gatland would have to look further down the pecking order if Lee's injury was going to keep him out of the competition but Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac says the tight-head's recovery is going well.
"I spoke to Samson last week and the medical reports are that he is going really well," Pivac said on Wales Online. "He is where he needs to be at to achieve his goal of the World Cup. So, so far so good."
The Scarlets hope to have tight-head Rhodri Jones back for their May 10 game against Cardiff Blues while Ken Owens should be fit for this weekend's double-header at the Millennium Stadium.
But one Wales international who won't be running out in the occasion dubbed Judgement Day III is Alex Cuthbert. He has been forced to undergo surgery on a finger with the Blues hopeful he will be back before the end of the season.