Wales face up to Boks finale without clutch of key players

WALES could be minus a third of the team beaten 33-18 by New Zealand for Saturday’s series finale against South Africa.

With the clash falling outside World Rugby’s autumn international fixture window, players who ply their trade outside Wales are not obliged to be released by their clubs.

Gloucester’s Owen Williams, Exeter prop Tomas Francis and Bath’s Taulupe Faletau are set for Premiership duties, and scrumhalf Rhys Webb (head knock) and lock Jake Ball (shoulder) are injury concerns.

Centre Jamie Roberts and out-half Rhys Priestland, used as substitutes in the All Blacks defeat, are also employed by English clubs, while head coach Warren Gatland also cannot call on the injured quartet of Jonathan Davies, Liam Williams, George North and Sam Warburton.

But he will have New Zealandborn Hadleigh Parkes available for a debut – the centre completes his three-year Wales residency qualification this week.

The game is likely to provide a major examination of Gatland’s squad resources, although Wales’ recent record against the Boks is good, having won two from the last three encounters.

POSITION

“There are a few players going back to their clubs,” Gatland said. “I need to see what the position is with all those players that are involved at the English clubs.

“We will see how we are from a physical point of view over the next 24 hours.

“If we can play as we did in the first half (against New Zealand), with that amount of territory and possession, and learn from it and be a bit more clinical against a side that probably doesn’t have the capabilities the All Blacks do, that will give us an opportunity to score more points.”

Wales, despite dominating possession and territory in the first half especially, were undone by five All Blacks tries as they suffered a 30th successive defeat against New Zealand.

Since Gatland took the helm in early 2008, Wales have claimed just three wins from 37 starts against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, although his assistant Rob Howley was in charge for some of those losses.

“We have spoken about developing players and exposing players to this level for the next two years as we build for the World Cup, and we feel that we are doing that,” Gatland added.

“We need to learn from the first three weeks we have been together and continue to improve.

“One of the things you can’t do as a coach is coach experience. We had a few youngsters out there who will learn from that. I think a lot of our players will take a lot out of that experience and what they would have learnt from playing against such a quality side.”