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New Wales call-up Halaholo could be out of the game for quite some time

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Cardiff Blues have confirmed that Willis Halaholo suffered an acute anterior cruciate ligament injury during last Saturday’s European Challenge Cup clash with Leicester Tigers.

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The centre will undergo surgery next week and will then begin his rehabilitation process with the region’s medical team.

The injury precluded Halaholo from linking up with the Wales squad on Monday for next Saturday clash with the Barbarians in Cardiff. Scott Williams has been called into the squad as his replacement.

New Wales coach Wayne Pivac had named a 35-man squad last week to prepare for his first fixture in charge at the Principality Stadium.

The game isn’t a capped international but Halaholo was one of five players hoping to pull on the red national jersey for the first time, Taine Basham, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Ashton Hewitt and Johnny McNicholl being the other four. 

(Continue reading below…)

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Halaholo and McNicholl were not the first players to qualify for a country on residency, but their inclusion in Pivac’s Wales squad didn’t please everyone. 

The Wales squad already has Hadleigh Parkes in it, a player born and raised in New Zealand who moved to Wales in 2014, but the latest inclusion of Blues’ Halaholo and Scarlets’ McNicholl, both of whom are also from New Zealand, proven quite contentious. 

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Former Wales and British and Irish Lions international Gavin Henson was one player to speak up about this selection last week, describing it as “so wrong” to his followers on Twitter. 

“Parent or grandparent is totally fine. Residency should only count if they’ve spent a certain amount of time in that country in their childhood.”

WATCH: England attack coach Scott Wisemantel departs as Wallabies job broadens his horizon

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M
MA 3 hours ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

In regards to Mack Hansen, Tuipoloto and others who talent wasnt 'seen'..

If we look at acting, soccer and cricket as examples, Hugh Jackman, the Heminsworths in acting; Keith Urban in Nashville, Mike Hussey and various cricketers who played in UK and made the Australian team; and many soccer players playing overseas.


My opinion is that perhaps the ' 'potential' or latent talent is there, but it's just below the surface.


ANd that decision, as made by Tane Edmed, Noah, Will Skelton to go overseas is the catalyst to activate the latent and bring it to the surface.


Based on my personal experience of leaving Oz and spending 14 months o/s, I was fully away from home and all usual support systems and past memories that reminded me of the past.


Ooverseas, they weren't there. I had t o survive, I could invent myself as who I wanted, and there was no one to blame but me.


It bought me alive, focused my efforts towards what I wanted and people largely accepted me for who I was and how I turned up.


So my suggestion is to make overseas scholarships for younger players and older too so they can benefit from the value offered by overseas coaching acumen, established systems, higher intensity competition which like the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, can produce more Skeltons, Arnold's, Kellaways and the like.


After the Lion's tour say, create 20 x $10,000 scholarships for players to travel and play overseas.


Set up a HECS style arrangement if necessary to recycle these funds ongoingly.


Ooverseas travel, like parenthood or difficult life situations brings out people's physical and emotional strengths in my own experiences, let's use it in rugby.

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