The rumours regarding Anscombe’s injury as Ospreys shop for a new No.10

IT’S now more than 330 days since Gareth Anscombe sidestepped England’s Elliot Daly and felt a weird sensation in one of his knees.

He had looked in prime nick in the minutes before, making a searing break and displaying a confidence about him that not all his Wales team-mates appeared to share that day, when England were to run out 33-19 winners.

Anscombe didn’t leave the field immediately after the first sign of trouble, but when he next kicked the ball out of hand, his damaged knee appeared loose and unstable, he later reported. He couldn’t continue.

As he exited the Twickenham pitch, so disappeared his World Cup dream for 2019. Within days a torn cruciate ligament had been identified as the problem; a prolonged injury fight stretched out before him.

He still doesn’t have a return-toplay date inked in. Far from it.

His region the Ospreys are also seeking an extra fly-half amid an injury concern over Luke Price. It means that right now the only No.10 the Liberty Stadium team have who is 100 percent fit is Cai Evans, who’s spent much of this season playing at full-back.

When is Anscombe likely to resume?

There are rumours aplenty. Listen to some and the 28-yearold is on his way to the rugby equivalent of Boot Hill.

Others suggest he might need a further operation.

Whatever, the Ospreys expect to know more definitively in the coming weeks, with Anscombe set to meet with his consultant to discuss his progress. The idea is they will assess how far down the line he is on the recovery road and mull over what happens next.

If it’s just a case of continuing with his rehab, then so be it.

What the Ospreys don’t want to do is rush him and jeopardise the work he has already put in.

But they are also seeing which 10s are on the market, with Price having developed a hip problem which has been described as ‘ongoing’. The Ospreys are attempting to manage the issue, but in a perfect world they’d want at least two 100 per cent fit No.10s.

They wouldn’t want to be left in a situation where too much pressure is put on a young player who operated at full-back pre-lockdown.

Cai Evans is considered mature beyond his years and is felt to have progressed nicely, but it would be asking a lot for the 21-year-old to run the show at this point.

Mat Protheroe has played at flyhalf in the past and so could provide cover.

He has electric pace over 20 metres, which is a reasonable starting point for anyone playing in the No.10 jersey, but the Ospreys recruited him as a backthree player and so presumably would want to use him there.

Quite how bad Price’s issue is remains to be seen. Managing an injury doesn’t necessarily mean having to miss games, but clearly it’s not a timely situation with Anscombe still sidelined.

The potential snapping up of a new 10 will depend on availability and when 2020-21 starts.

No-one yet knows with certainty when that will be, so there would be little point bringing in a new player at this stage and paying his wages if the new campaign isn’t kicking off for months, depending on talks over a global season.

Meantime, all at the region are hoping for good news on Anscombe, who has yet to make his Ospreys debut after his move from Cardiff Blues. The south-west Wales region went for him on the basis that he could transform their backline with his pace, vision and experience.

They are still hopeful his quality will benefit them hugely.

But quite when he’ll be seen in a black jersey is anyone’s guess.

Wales boss Wayne Pivac will be watching more closely than most.