Faletau’s return is a huge boost for Wales
TAULUPE Faletau will end 99 days of injury misery this afternoon... and supply Wales head coach Warren Gatland with another huge boost ahead of the Six Nations.
Gatland has been hit by a seemingly never-ending line of injuries since the autumn, with 18 players on the last count of incapacitated Welsh stars.
But the news has improved over the past 24 hours, starting with the Dragons revealing that Ross Moriarty was set to return from concussion ahead of the Six Nations.
And Faletau’s reappearance on a rugby field for the first time since October 5 will cheer the Wales coach further, with the celebrated back-rower named in the starting line-up for Bath’s home Heineken Champions Cup game against Wasps this afternoon.
He hasn’t played for Wales in close on 10 months, missing the summer tour last year and then suffering a broken arm ahead of the autumn Tests.
So important to Wales in the past, with Gatland hailing him “worldclass”, the 28-year-old featured in just two of the 12 Tests Warren Gatland’s side played in 2018, with one setback after another hampering him.
A knee ligament injury meant he started the 2018 Six Nations late, playing in the final two rounds when Wales defeated Italy and France.
He excelled in the game against France, making a number of surging breaks, as Wales banked a hardearned 14-13 victory.
An indication of how highly Gatland values Faletau had come in the game against Italy when the coach marked the Lions man’s return from injury by handing him the Wales captaincy for the first time, with Alun Wyn Jones rested.
The Wales coach still has a number of injury issues to grapple with. But the 76-cap Faletau is a gold-standard player whose availability will lift Wales no end.
Dragons back-rower Moriarty has been given a comeback date of January 26 as he recovers from the head knock against Clermont Auvergne last month.