- Regan Grace has received a surprise call-up ahead of Wales’ tour of Australia
- He has only made two appearances in rugby union and those were in friendlies
- The winger, 27 replaces Keelan Giles, who suffered a groin injury in training
Wales’ summer tour injury issues deepened on Thursday, forcing Warren Gatland to call-up former rugby league star Regan Grace despite him never having played a competitive game in union. Gatland’s team face the most daunting of tasks against back-to-back world champions South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday before flying to Australia for two Tests with the Wallabies.
Ahead of a series of pivotal matches, head coach Gatland has a number of fitness problems to deal with. Former St Helens man Grace trained with Wales on Thursday but separate to the main group after being called up to replace Keelan Giles as a wing option. Giles suffered a groin injury in training. Grace swapped codes in 2022 and is currently contracted to Bath.
But despite the fact he has played only two friendlies for the Premiership side, he is now likely to travel to Australia. Wales on Thursday confirmed the withdrawal of prop Henry Thomas from their XV to face South Africa with a foot problem, but Mail Sport understands there are further woes for Gatland to deal with as hooker Elliot Dee won’t travel to Australia due to injury.
Rookie Cardiff hooker Efan Daniel trained with Wales on Thursday as a result and is set to go to the southern hemisphere as a No 2 option alongside Dewi Lake and Evan Lloyd.
Another hooker in Sam Parry, who was named in the original Wales summer squad, won’t travel despite seemingly being ahead of Daniel in the initial pecking order.
Regan Grace is likely to go Down Under after his shock call-up – despite never playing a competitive game in union!
Warren Gatland has called on the former rugby league star amid a deepening injury crisis
Asked on Thursday if Wales had any other injury concerns other than Thomas and Giles’ withdrawal, forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys said: ‘No, we’re OK.’
But that is not the case. Not only is Dee is out of the Australia tour, but neither prop Dillon Lewis nor lock Cory Hill are at 100 per cent. Hill is recovering from a calf issue and while he was part of Wales’ training session on Thursday, worries over Thomas and Lewis have led Gatland to call-up another tighthead prop option in Ben Warren of the Ospreys.
Wales still hope Thomas will be able to make the Australia trip. Warren is set to be a travelling reserve with Wales for their South Africa game.
‘He suffered an innocuous injury from scrummaging on Tuesday,’ Humphreys said of former England man Thomas. ‘He went to see a specialist last night. It looks pretty positive.’
Humphreys said of Grace: ‘He’s got speed. We’ve lost a few in the back three and he’s got X Factor.
‘It’s great to get him in the environment and get to know him a bit better. You can’t buy what he’s got. We’re excited to have him here. He’s got gas and he can make things happen.’
Grace was a prolific try scorer in rugby league, crossing the line 89 times in 143 games for St Helens and winning three Super League titles and a Challenge Cup.
But his time in the 15-man game has been decimated by serious Achilles injuries. Grace first started in union with Racing 92 but never played for the French side before joining Bath.
Grace has been called up to replace winger Keelan Giles, who suffered a groin injury in training
His only games for Johann van Graan’s side came in pre-season friendlies with Gloucester and Leinster last year.
Wales are without their players employed by English clubs for the South Africa game as the match falls outside World Rugby’s designated Test window meaning they are unavailable.
While the likes of Dafydd Jenkins, Tommy Reffell and Nick Tompkins will boost Gatland’s squad strength for the Australia matches, the Wales head coach could certainly do with some better luck.
Wales will be more than up against it when they face a fearsome South African side.
The match comes on the back of Gatland’s men finishing bottom of the Six Nations without a win.
