Wales casualty list adds up ahead of departure
WALES have been hit by a double injury blow for their summer Tests against Samoa and Tonga with the withdrawal of Scarlets stars Rob Evans and Jake Ball from Robin McBryde’s squad.
Second row Ball has been a doubt for some weeks after damaging his shoulder against Connacht last month and missing the Guinness Pro12 playoffs with Leinster and Munster.
The Scarlets were hopeful Ball could be back for the Pro12 final, but it’s feared the 25-year-old, who started all of Wales’ Six Nations matches this year, could need surgery to remedy the problem.
Meanwhile, prop Evans battled through Saturday’s spellbinding final victory over Munster at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium with his finger strapped up.
But the decision had been taken before the game that he would sit out the tour.
That will enable the fracture time to heal fully.
It’s a blow for the 17-cap Evans who would have been a strong contender for a Lions call-up should they have required a loosehead replacement at any stage.
He makes the fourth player who has been forced to withdraw from the Wales squad through injury, following on from Rhun Williams and James King – who have been replaced by Phil Dollman and Aaron Shingler respectively – and lock Ball.
Fellow loosehead Gethin Jenkins had already been ruled out of the equation, with the record cap holder having undergone knee clean-up surgery.
Evans’ exit leaves young Nicky Smith and the uncapped Wyn Jones as the two options at No.1 in the squad.
Should Wales want to draft in an experienced loosehead, then Paul James and Rhys Gill would be obvious candidates, while 20-year-old Corey Domachowski is a fresh-faced contender having impressed on his outings for Cardiff Blues.
There could be more injury misery looming on the horizon with Ball and Evans’ Scarlets team-mate Samson Lee hurting his knee in Saturday’s 46-22 victory over Munster but coach Wayne Pivac said it is too early to know the full extent of the prop’s injury.
And last weekend also saw former Newport Gwent Dragon Dollman join the Welsh walking wounded after suffering an injury in Exeter’s Premiership final win over Wasps.
After scoring a try in the first half, the 32-year-old uncapped Dollman required treatment early in the second half and was unable to carry on after appearing to injure his left knee.
In Dollman’s absence, Chiefs went on to win the most dramatic of Aviva Premiership finals that went into extra time when the score finished 20-20 after 80 minutes.
During the post-match celebrations, Dollman was seen hobbling around on crutches, though the severity of the injury is not yet clear.
It would be a cruel blow for Dollman, who has waited his entire career for a Wales call-up and only got it this week after the withdrawal of Williams.