Wales deliver bleak Owen Watkin injury update

Wales are hopeful that back-row forward Aaron Wainwright could be fit for their crunch Guinness Six Nations clash against Italy despite suffering a nasty facial injury.

Wainwright was forced off during the early minutes of Wales’ record 43-0 loss to France.

But while centre Owen Watkin is a definite absentee – and probably for the tournament remainder – due to a knee injury sustained in Paris, Wainwright, who did not suffer a fracture or concussion, has not been ruled out.

“The main issue was a fracture. He doesn’t have that fracture, so we are pretty hopeful he will be available,” assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys told reporters at Wales’ training base in Nice.

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“He had an unbelievable gash. He’s a tough kid and he’s like ‘I’ll be alright, they can just stitch me back up’, but it’s a pretty bad gash.

“He has got eight days’ turnaround, so we are very hopeful, especially since he is desperate to play.”

Elsewhere, full-back Liam Williams had a knee issue during the game, while No.8 Taulupe Faletau was not available for selection, also due to knee trouble.

Humphreys added: “The only one who is definitely out is Owen, and we are hopeful on the others. In the next sort of 24 hours we can make a definite on that.

“He (Watkin) is probably going to have to have an operation on that. It’s a tough injury for him.

“He’s a great kid, so professional. He will have great care, so hopefully he will back sooner rather than later.”

The Italy encounter in Rome on Saturday has been billed by former Wales fly-half and captain Dan Biggar as his country’s biggest game for the “last 15-20 years”.

The prospect of a second successive Six Nations wooden spoon will loom large if Wales lose at Stadio Olimpico, given that their remaining fixtures are against Ireland, Scotland and England.

Wales have now lost 13 successive Tests, while seven-try France posted a record Six Nations win against them and Warren Gatland’s team were only a point short of matching their all-time heaviest defeat in the tournament – 54-10 against Ireland, 23 years ago.

It all served to intensify the heat on Gatland, who has overseen just six wins in 25 Tests during a second stint as Wales head coach.

“It is tough, losing. Anybody who is involved in professional sport knows that it’s tough,” Humphreys said.

“The thing with us what we don’t lack is fight. They (players) fight and work hard.

“The big thing for us is trying to get that energy and work-rate, playing in the right areas, so we are getting reward for that, and not defending a lot inside your own half, inside your own 22, which is tough to do against quality teams.

“It’s easy to talk about it’s a must-win, the pressure is massive. We know that, and it is about us trying to get the players to focus on what we can control.

“We can’t control the press, what is said about it and who says it. All we can do is find something we are going after that we are hanging our hat on, something we can improve on from the last game.

“That is the only thing we can control that will actually help us. If we start talking about outcome, outcome, pressure, it is a whole different scenario that is not going to help us in anything that we are trying to achieve.”