Who will fill the vacancies in Pivac’s Welsh back-line?
SO, the worst fears have been confirmed with Jonathan Davies and Rhys Patchell both facing surgery and lengthy lay-offs due to the injuries they suffered at the World Cup.
Lions centre Davies will be sidelined for at least six months with knee damage, definitely ruling him out of the Six Nations and probably the whole of the season.
And outside-half Patchell will be out of action for 12-16 weeks with an operation needed on his shoulder, so is unlikely to play any part in the Championship.
What does this all mean for Wales and incoming coach Wayne Pivac?
Who will now come into the reckoning at 10 and 13 for the game against the Barbarians at the end of this month and the Six Nations in the new year?
Rugby correspondent SIMON THOMAS considers the options in both positions...
OUTSIDE-HALF
Jarrod Evans
BY his own admission, missing out on World Cup selection took its toll on Evans, while he has also found himself more of a marked man this term given his higher profile.
He shared in Cardiff Blues’ early season struggles, with his form and confidence taking a hit.
But last weekend, there were signs he had turned the corner as he produced a man-of-the-match display in the victory over the Cheetahs.
Starting him at inside centre gave him more freedom and when he then switched back to fly-half during the course of the game you could see his confidence returning on the back of a series of successful shots at goal.
There are few more talented players with ball in hand than the 23-year-old and he poses a huge attacking threat both with his running and his creativity when he’s on song.
It’s just question of him knowing when to go for it and when to take a more pragmatic approach, rather than trying to produce something magical on every play.
With the English-based Dan Biggar unavailable for the out-of-window game against the Barbarians, Evans will be odds-on to start at 10, giving him a chance to lay down a marker for the Six Nations.
Sam Davies
It’s some two-and-a-half years since Davies won the last of his eight caps.
Having been seen as the Wales fly-half in waiting back in 2016, he then gradually slipped out of the international reckoning.
But he has been a man revitalised since his move from the Ospreys to the Dragons and appears to be flourishing under Dean Ryan, who is clearly a big fan.
We’ve always known about Davies’ outstanding kicking game, but he’s also now demonstrating his playmaking ability with ball in hand.
He provided the perfect illustration of that on the weekend, with the delightfully delayed pass that put Adam Warren in for a try against Edinburgh.
In the absence of Biggar, a recall has to be on the cards for the Barbarians clash, when the Wales squad is named next Tuesday.
Dan Biggar
Under PRL rules, English-based players are not available for the out-of-window match against the Barbarians on November 30, especially as there is a full programme of Gallagher Premiership matches that weekend.
So, Northampton’s Dan Biggar will be at Franklin’s Gardens rather than the Principality Stadium that Saturday, with the Saints having a huge east Midlands derby against Leicester to attend to.
But he will come back into the equation for the Six Nations.
It will be fascinating to see how Wayne Pivac and Stephen Jones view the fly-half berth moving forward, in terms of what they want from their 10.
But Biggar clearly remains an option. He has only just turned 30 and offers a huge amount of experience - with 79 caps to his name - along with control and an indomitable fighting spirit.
Callum Sheedy
Now this is an interesting one.
Sheedy played for England – who he qualifies for on residency – against the Barbarians at Twickenham in June.
But he is not yet tied to the red rose as it was an uncapped game.
And he’s very much eligible for Wales, having been born and raised in Cardiff and capped at U20s level. He’s also qualified for Ireland through family for good measure.
So three options are still available to the 24-year-old and his outstanding form at fly-half for Bristol means one of those countries may soon come knocking.
He’s not available for the Baa-Baas game at the Principality, being based over the border, but one wonders whether Pivac might just make an audacious bid to lure him back to the red of Wales come the Six Nations.
Dan Jones
With Patchell sidelined for up to four months, there’s a big responsibility now on the shoulders of Jones to navigate the Scarlets ship from No.10.
If he makes a good fist of that,