Wales contender Halaholo undergoes second knee surgery

WILLIS Halaholo has had a second operation on his knee and will miss Cardiff Blues’ opening two rounds in the Challenge Cup.

The 30-year-old centre is hoping to return in time for the PRO14 derby matches over Christmas, but his latest injury set-back is also a blow to his international aspirations.

The New Zealand-born, former Tonga U20 cap was included in Wayne Pivac’s first Welsh squad for the uncapped match against the Barbarians a year ago, but badly damaged knee ligaments in a European clash with Leicester Tigers.

Surgery forced him out for nine months and he returned to play four matches in the 2020-21 campaign before being forced to go under the knife again. It means he will have little time to convince Pivac he can add something to his midfield options.

Since missing out on playing for his adopted nation after serving his three-year qualification period, Halaholo has seen Nick Tompkins and Johnny Williams win caps in the Welsh midfield. This weekend Pivac went back to George North to fill one of the problem areas of his new-look side.

The senior Welsh centre, Jonathan Davies, has also just come back from knee surgery and picked up another knock during the Nations Cup. Pivac has yet to find the perfect partner for Davies since the departure to Japan of 2019 Grand Slammer Hadleigh Parkes.

All-action Halaholo was seen by many as the natural candidate, but with only four games behind him in a year he will be battling to make up for lost time when he gets back on the pitch.

Blues face the Dragons on Boxing Day, the Ospreys

on January 2 and then the Scarlets. It means he could face Welsh rivals Tompkins against the Dragons, Owen Watkin in the Ospreys game and Williams and Davies against the Scarlets.

Halaholo joined the Blues in 2016 after helping the Hurricanes win the Super Rugby title.