AUTUMN WOE FOR WILLIAMS
WALES boss Wayne Pivac has been dealt a fresh blow after it was confirmed that Scarlets centre Johnny Williams will miss the start of the autumn campaign.
Williams missed the Scarlets’ defeat to Cardiff on Saturday with a calf problem.
Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel later said the problem is bad enough to rule him out of the November international programme.
Wales meet New Zealand on November 5, followed by Argentina, Georgia and Australia.
The news on Williams, who was injured playing in the previous game against Benetton, piles on the problems for Wales coach Pivac.
He is already without Liam Williams (shoulder), with doubts also persisting for the New Zealand opener over Gareth Anscombe (ribs) and Alex Cuthbert (leg). Justin Tipuric is also a doubt with a rib problem.
Like Liam Williams, Owen Lane (ankle) and Dragons prop Leon Brown (neck) have been ruled out of the four-match series.
Peel said: “He’s going to be out for a while.
“I don’t think he’ll be ready for the start of the autumn internationals.”
Although Nick Tompkins and George North are expected to start as Wales’s 12-13 pairing, Williams has been one of the form centres in Wales this season and would have been strongly pushing for a place in the matchday 23 against New Zealand.
It also creates another dilemma for Pivac, who needs as many players as fit as possible to get his side through a gruelling schedule of games.