Skip to content
Rugby World Cup

Wales Suffer Faletau injury blow

Published on October 8, 2023
Updated on October 9, 2023
Chris
Written by Chris

Best Bookmaker Offers

18+ New Customers only. Max Win £10 Free Bet. Qualifying bets at odds 1/1 or greater. Paid as bonus token. Min 4/5 odds required. Skrill, Neteller, Paypal not eligible. BeGambleAware.org. T&Cs apply.
New UK, IE & Malta customers only. Min £10/€10 first deposit using Debit Card. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 1.5 and get £10. Further £10 credited after 7 days and a further £10 credited after 14 days. Full T&Cs apply.18+. begambleaware.org  
New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. The promotion reward functions as a £30 Surprise Bet. Qualifying real money bet of £10. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Offer awarded immediately but could be issued the next working day in exceptional circumstances such as technical fault. Additional T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. Full T&Cs
18+ | Play Responsibly | T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org
Wales Suffer Faletau injury blow
  • Veteran No. 8 ruled out of tournament
  • Gatland gets creative and brings in scrum half Hardy as replacement
  • Faletau absence a blow but Gatland has confidence in back row options

Wales’ World Cup campaign has encountered a setback as Taulupe Faletau, the experienced number eight, sustained a broken arm during their 43-19 victory against Georgia in Nantes. The injury has ruled him out of the tournament.

Faletau loss is a big setback/Gatland makes left field choice on replacement

The loss of Faletau is significant, with the No 8 a vital part of Gatland’s first-choice forward pack.In response to the forward’s absence, head coach Warren Gatland has made a strategic substitution, bringing in scrum-half Kieran Hardy from Scarlets. With only Tomos Williams and Gareth Davies initially listed in the 33-man squad, Hardy’s inclusion provides much-needed depth at the scrum-half position.

Gatland expressed confidence in the team’s options in the back row, explaining the decision to call up Hardy was to alleviate some training pressure and bolster scrum-half coverage.

Looking ahead, Wales is set to face Argentina in their World Cup quarter-final clash scheduled for Saturday, 14 October in Marseille. As a result of Faletau’s injury, Aaron Wainwright is likely to transition to number eight from his usual blind-side flanker position.

This adjustment opens up opportunities for players like Taine Basham, Dan Lydiate, Tommy Reffell, and Christ Tshiunza to potentially join Wainwright and co-captain Jac Morgan in the back row.

Hardy, 27, will integrate into the Welsh squad in Versailles on Sunday to partake in preparations for the crucial match against Argentina.

The team is also grappling with injuries to key players including fly-halves Dan Biggar (chest), Gareth Anscombe (groin), and full-back Liam Williams (knee) as they gear up for the quarter-final face-off against the Pumas.

Betting Implications

Faletau is an experienced player who is first choice No. 8. Bettors need to assess how much impact his absence will have on Wales’ chances in the quarter-final and in the tournament as a whole.

Wales are currently favourites to beat Argentina. At the time of writing bet365 have the Welsh priced at 8/13 with Argentina 6/4 and a draw 18/1.

As far as the tournament is concerned, BoyleSports have Wales at 22/1 to win, making them sixth favourites.
Check the best bookmakers for the Rugby World Cup and the best betting sites for rugby union with Betting.com.

Share this article
Article link copied!
Chris

Chris is a former athlete and a qualified PE teacher. He is a keen football fan, watching many matches at different levels throughout the season, and enjoys following many different sports. With betting and sports sites, he has a keen eye for detail and can to highlight positives and negatives for users. His experience in sport as a performer, teacher, writer and fan allows him to see things from many different perspectives.

Betting.com Editorial Promise