Davies and Patchell to miss out on Six Nations

WALES stars Jonathan Davies and Rhys Patchell are both facing lengthy lay-offs which will see them miss the Six Nations.

Lions centre Davies will be sidelined for at least six months with the knee injury he suffered during the World Cup.

And fly-half Patchell will be out of action for up to four months after damaging his shoulder in Wales’ final match out in Japan.

Both players are to undergo surgery in a double whammy blow for their region, the Scarlets, and the national team. A joint statement from the Scarlets and the WRU said: “Rhys Patchell and Jonathan Davies both face surgery following injuries sustained in the recent Rugby World Cup.

“Rhys Patchell is expected to return to play between 12-16 weeks following a shoulder injury, whereas Jonathan Davies faces at least six months recovering from knee surgery.”

The 81-cap Davies hurt his left knee in the group game against Fiji, while setting up a decisive try for winger Josh Adams.

He then sat out the quarterfinal clash with France, withdrawing from that match late in the day. But he returned for the semi-final meeting with South Africa and the third-place play-off against New Zealand, with his knee heavily strapped.

While admitting he wasn’t 100 per cent, the 31-year-old got through those games, but now faces surgery and a long spell out of the sport. It will be mid-May before he is able to return to action at best, with just a few weeks of the season left, with the Guinness PRO14 final on June 20. As for the 19-cap Patchell, an operation is required on the shoulder he injured in the thirdplace play-off.

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