Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Josh Macleod's joy and despair: Back row stretchered off at training 30 minutes after being told he would debut for Wales

(Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Wayne Pivac has revealed the incredible roller coaster of emotions experienced on Wednesday by Josh Macleod, the uncapped 24-year-old Scarlets back row who went from being told he would make a debut Test start this Saturday for Wales versus Scotland to suffering a serious injury just 30 minutes later that will now sideline him for at least six months.   

ADVERTISEMENT

The agonising setback for Macleod was the latest serious injury to affect Wales. With Dan Lydiate, who started last Sunday’s win over Ireland, having torn his ACL and his replacement Josh Navidi having hurt his neck, Macleod was all set to start at Murrayfield as the next blindside up. 

However, Macleod went from hero to zero in the space of a midweek half-hour and his place as the Wales No6 versus the Scots has now gone to Aaron Wainwright, who had originally been told he would start from the bench in Edinburgh. Wainwright’s spot in the replacements has now gone to James Botham.  

Video Spacer

Wayne Pivac on Wales’ mounting injury situation

Video Spacer

Wayne Pivac on Wales’ mounting injury situation

“It has been a couple of days trying to put it together,” said Pivac about finalising an XV that contains five injury-enforced changes from last Sunday. “Injuries of any description are not pleasant for players. No one wants injuries but it is part and parcel of the game. 

“The most disappointing is probably young Josh McLeod, who missed the last squad through being injured in a club game the day before coming in. Then yesterday [Wednesday] to be named in front of his peers and have them celebrate and give him a pat on the back, for him to go training half an hour later to be stretchered off was not great for him, not great for any of us. 

“Really saddened for Josh. A debut against Scotland would have been something he had dreamt of. It’s a serious injury, an achilles, but there was no contact involved in that. It was just one of those things in a training session. I’m guessing it’s going to be about six months.”

George North, Johnny Williams, Hallam Amos and Tomos Williams were the other quartet from last week’s starters to miss out on round two through injury, Owen Watkin, Nick Tompkins, Liam Williams and Gareth Davies all making the step-up. 

ADVERTISEMENT

North’s absence wasn’t even due to the eye injury suffered against the Irish – he had recovered from that and was instead ruled out with a foot injury which Pivac is hopeful won’t keep him from being available for the round three meeting versus England.  

“I think we have got about 21 players unavailable from the first Six Nations,” reckoned Pivac, reflecting on the lengthy Wales casualty list. “It is a high number. I haven’t gone through the list to look at any patterns or anything like that. The medical boys will always do that in due course but it is a high number. I don’t know how that compares with other countries, though.  

“It happens from time to time and just got to box on, you can’t dwell on it. One man’s misfortune is an opportunity for somebody else.”

Those opportunities won’t extend to either Rhys Webb or Jamie Roberts this weekend. Webb had told Pivac he didn’t want to be third choice scrum-half, which is why Lloyd Williams is on the bench at Murrayfield after Davies was promoted to start in place of the injured Tomos Williams. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Pivac added that he had been in contact with veteran Jamie Roberts, who has been in good form at Dragons, to let him know where he stands but the coach felt the uncapped Willis Halaholo was the best option for Wales to include on this weekend’s bench.     

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JPM 52 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 54 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

11 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING New scrumhalf rule among 4 global Law trials as others shot down New scrumhalf rule among 4 global Law trials as others shot down
Search