WALES ACE VOWS TO MAKE THE TIME AWAY FROM HIS PREGNANT WIFE COUNT FOR GLORY PARKES LIFE
HADLEIGH PARKES admits Wales’ bid for World Cup glory means he is missing pregnant wife Suzy, who is 6,000 miles away in Cardiff.
But the centre is ready to put business before pleasure and go into battle once again in Sunday’s crunch quarter-final with France.
Most of Warren Gatland’s squad are being supported by their wives and girlfriends in Japan, but Parkes’ partner, Suzy, is too heavily pregnant to fly to the Far East.
It has left the 32-year-old to spend most evenings on the phone, but he is determined to make his absence from Suzy and his soon-to-be first born worthwhile by helping Wales all the way to World Cup glory.
“My wife and I are expecting our first child around the November 18-20 mark so unfortunately, because of travel, she couldn’t come,” he said. “We’re spending a lot of time FaceTiming.
“She’s doing really well and we’re fortunate with the support base we’ve got in Cardiff with a lot of good friends and a lot of people helping her out. They have been outstanding.
“This is the longest tour I’ve been on. It’s something Warren and his wife, Trudi, have been great with. Warren has always said it is family first. Trudi set up a WhatsApp group and all the parents and partners are on there so they are organising lots of things.
“That kind of stuff goes a long way for family members who are a long way from home and it takes away a bit of worry for us.”
Wales left for Japan on September 11 and before that Parkes had spent long periods of the summer away at gruelling training camps in Switzerland and Turkey. They plan to make all the sacrifice worthwhile by making it to the final on November 2 and end Gatland’s last campaign in charge with a first Welsh World Cup win.
They must first beat France
– as Wales have done in seven of the last eight meetings between the two sides – in Oita on Sunday.
“Our past record has been pretty good, but it’s the knock-out stages of a tournament so you have to put that to one side,” said Parkes.
“It can come down to the bounce of a ball or a couple of decisions.” Parkes has started all four of Wales’ World Cup games to date and has the bumps to prove it. He broke a small bone in his hand in the team’s opener against Georgia, scored a try against Australia and went toe-totoe with a brutal Fiji outfit.
Parkes then suffered a nasty shoulder blow against Uruguay, but carried on regardless and is set to be named this morning in the side to face France. Fellow key backs Dan Biggar, Jonathan Davies and George North are all likely to brush off knocks, too. New Zealand-born Parkes will be a key figure against France and, while Suzy will have to be content with watching on TV, Parkes will be supported by his parents, Bill and Janet. His three brothers are also imminent arrivals in Japan.
Parkes said: “It’s my parents’ wedding anniversary on the weekend of the semi-finals so hopefully we go well against France and then we can celebrate in style in Tokyo.”