Back 
1
'He is not going to be fit for a while' - Wales flanker likely needing surgery
By PA
Wales have been dealt a fresh injury blow with Scarlets forward Taine Plumtree set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.”
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
Latest Comments
The weather was dreadful but the playing surface was great so there is no real excuse for such another poor standard of play from both sides. Dragons just the better team. But, what a shocking decision by the TMO not to award the Fifita try. This pretty much sums up Welsh rugby with poor teams and poor officials. The WRU have a lot of work to do and it needs to be done quickly to avoid rugby being lost to our future generations.
Go to commentsNo chance of Borthwick selecting any young talent. He announced his selection policy from the outset with naming a poor OF as Captain, retaining an equally poor Youngs and Vunipola brothers when there were many better EQP in the Premiership. SB revival of Leicester was based on SA muscle and a terrific Welsh flanker he has generally ignored young English talent.
Go to comments