Hill’s break gives Wales big headache as Irish bounce back in fine style
WALES lock Cory Hill’s World Cup dream was hanging by a thread last night as Warren Gatland revealed he has a leg fracture.
Hill, 27, has not played in any of the World Cup warm-ups and has not featured in any game since the England win in the Six Nations where he scored and picked up an ankle injury.
But with Wales’ 31-man squad for the tournament announced today at 2pm, Hill has emerged as a major doubt.
‘Our big discussion is with Cory Hill,’ said Gatland after the defeat to the Irish, in which Jacob Stockdale scored twice. ‘He has got a fracture in his leg. We scanned it yesterday. It is a very small fracture which could keep him out until game two or three, so that will be a big discussion on whether we take him or not.’
If fit, Hill — who has captained his country twice — would go as one of four locks, alongside captain Alun Wyn Jones, Adam Beard and Jake Ball.
But Gatland was last night pondering whether to take him injured, or leave him out with Aaron Shingler able to cover second row.
That may open the door to openside flanker James Davies, who otherwise may struggle to make the plane.
Still with ‘half a dozen’ places up for grabs last night one issue that looks to be solved is at fly half.
Before the game he set up a show-down between Rhys Patchell and Jarrod Evans to claim the second-choice No 10 spot behind Dan Biggar.
Evans struggled as Patchell shone in the second half, taking Wales’ second try after debutant Owen Lane scored their first. But Gatland was sympathetic towards 21-year-old Evans, saying: ‘It was hard for Jarrod in the first half when the team isn’t going as well as it could. There’s no doubt that Rhys came on and did a good job.
‘But it’s a lot easier coming off the bench when there’s no pressure on you. He played flat, scored a try and kicked well. He’s done well.’
Whoever he picks, Gatland believes this will be his best ever squad to grace a World Cup.
‘We’ve got an excellent loose forward group to pick from, some real leadership and experience,’ he added.
Ireland bounced back from a record loss against England and
boosted their World Cup preparations by inflicting a rare home defeat on Wales.
Indeed, it was the first time they have lost in Cardiff since November 2017.
Wing Stockdale led the way with his two first-half tries and Ireland bossed most critical areas ahead of next Saturday’s return game in Dublin.
Fly-half Jack Carty added a conversion and penalty for the visitors, while his opposite number Evans kicked a penalty before going off at half-time and being replaced by Patchell, with a second-half penalty try sealing Wales’ fate.
Wales finished strongly, with Lane and Patchell claiming late tries and Patchell converting both, but it was not enough to prevent defeat.
Ireland boss Joe Schmidt, though, will have been encouraged by his team’s recovery powers following a shambolic effort at Twickenham when England crushed them under an eight-try onslaught.
Stockdale, who departed at the interval, Carty, centre Bundee Aki, skipper Peter O’Mahony and his fellow flanker Tadhg Beirne were among those that impressed.
Asked afterwards how close he is to his final 31-man selection for Japan, Schmidt said: ‘I can tell you now, I’m not sure. We need to see what our balance is.
‘Whatever you do there’s always a risk you don’t quite get it right. I don’t think we got it right last time (in 2015).
‘It’s a horrible couple of days. For those players who miss out it’s going to be a real body blow, I’m incredibly conscious of that.
‘But you can only take 31 players and that’s the reality of it.
Ireland are due to submit their 31-man World Cup squad to World Rugby tomorrow, but will not publicise that final Japanese travelling party until September 8.