WALES head for the Swiss Alps this week amid renewed fears that one of their outstanding back row contingent will miss the World Cup.
Ellis Jenkins is recovering from a second operation but running out of time in his brave attempt to defy medical opinion and return from a shattering knee injury in time to make the final cut for Japan.
The Rugby Paper can reveal that the Cardiff Blues captain required further surgery last month to the injury suffered in the final seconds of his man-of the- match performance in the home win over South Africa last autumn.
In a season when Wales swept all before them, nobody produced an individual performance to match Jenkins’ against the Springboks. Promoted from the bench at short notice after Dan Lydiate’s late withdrawal, Jenkins started on the blindside, then switched to No.8 after Wales lost another back rower, Ross Moriarty, during the match.
The Wales management had been advised that Jenkins’ ruptured knee would take a minimum of nine months to repair. They have kept the door open but the delay following the second operation leaves him little realistic chance of making any of the four pre-World Cup matches starting at Twickenham on August 11.
Despite the ferocity of competition for back row places in the final squad of 31, a fit Jenkins would have demanded an inclusion given his priceless ability to perform at the highest level across all three positions – six, seven and eight.
The six contenders among the 42-strong squad heading back to the Alpine base Wales used before the last World Cup include two victims of long-term injury. Taulupe Faletau and Aaron Shingler are both on track to start their comebacks next month.
Faletau has played just one Premiership match for Bath since breaking an arm last October and again in the New Year. Shingler has not been seen since the Scarlets’ PRO14 final win over Leinster 14 months ago, a knee injury similar to Jenkins’ having wiped him out of Wales’ 13-match winning streak.
A towering figure whose athleticism provided an additional line-out option, Shingler will face formidable rivals for his position in the shape of Josh Navidi and the 21- year-old Dragon, Aaron Wainwright.
Unless Jenkins manages something little short of miraculous to play himself back into contention, the Scarlets’ James Davies will be left as the leading specialist openside alternative to the imperious Justin Tipuric.
Wales revealed their World Cup kit yesterday including an all-green change strip. Standard replica home jerseys range from £55 to £75 but the real thing will cost considerably more.
The WRU say that ‘authentic shirts’, as worn by the team, will be available ‘starting at £90.’ There is no mention of how deeper the fans will have to dig into their pockets to pay for a ‘finishing’ figure. It could be, therefore, that Welsh supporters will have to pay as much as their English counterparts, if not more.
The England Test shirt for the World Cup will cost £100, a five per cent increase on last year.
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