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'He is not going to be fit for a while' - Wales flanker likely needing surgery

By PA
CARDIFF, WALES - NOVEMBER 4: Wales's Taine Plumtree bursts through during the Rugby International match between Wales and Barbarians at Principality Stadium on November 4, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Ian Cook - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Wales have been dealt a fresh injury blow with Scarlets forward Taine Plumtree set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

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The 23-year-old faces probable surgery on a shoulder problem, and it looks unlikely that he will be fit for Wales’ early Six Nations fixtures in February.

“He is not going to be fit for a while and likely to need surgery on his shoulder,” Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said.

“He has been good for us. He is a good athlete, and he is prepared to work.

“He is a good character within the group and been a good fit for us and Wales where you are going to have a player in a year or so who will be very competitive.”

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Swansea-born Plumtree moved to the Scarlets following a playing stint in New Zealand, and he impressed during Wales’ Rugby World Cup warm-up Tests, winning two caps against England.

Although he missed out on Wales head coach Warren Gatland’s final World Cup squad, Plumtree looked set to challenge strongly for Six Nations selection.

Wales’ opening game is against Scotland in Cardiff on February 3, and concerns also surround Plumtree’s fellow back-row forwards Taulupe Faletau and Christ Tshiunza.

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Faletau broke his arm during Wales’ World Cup pool victory over Georgia on October 7, while Tshiunza, who offers Gatland a back-row and second-row option, is nursing a fractured foot.

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F
Flankly 34 minutes ago
Maro Itoje: What was said as Lions fell 'far behind' on scoreboard

This is what dreams are made of

Umm. Credit to a winning team, but to be clear … the team you beat is ranked 6th in the world, did not make it out of the pool stage of the last RWC, and came last in the 2024 Rugby Championship. Not sure any bookie has them as favorites for the 2025 RC either.


Australia have made progress for sure, and of course that matters. But for a team made up of 4 leading rugby nations, including two that are ranked much higher than this opposition, a win is expected and a loss would be humiliating. Furthermore, with weeks of playing together, planning together and living together it is hard to argue that the Lions have had less opportunity for cohesion than Australia.


A win is a win, and no-one should question that. But a last-minute one-score win that depended on a 50/50 penalty call is one to humbly accept, rather than to crow about. It was neither a beating, nor even a compelling win. I thought win was not undeserved, but it’s a close call on which was the better team on the day.


And let’s get off this nonsense about it being like a world cup final. The local pub teams may feel that their big game is like a world cup final, but it’s stupid to pretend it is the reality. The RWC final is played by two of the top teams in the world, and there is no evidence that either of these teams fits that description. There is a game in Eden Park later this year between the #1 and #2 ranked teams that would be a lot closer to it, of course.


Well done to the Lions, and congrats to the Wallabies. Let’s enjoy a good game for what it was, without pretending it was something bigger than it was.

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