Wales Captain Faces Lengthy Sideline Spell After Shoulder Injury
Wales have been dealt a devastating blow with the news that captain Jac Morgan will miss the remainder of the autumn internationals after suffering a dislocated shoulder during Sunday's match against Argentina. The injury also places his participation in the upcoming Six Nations tournament in serious doubt.
Tough Start for New Coach Tandy
The injury occurred during new head coach Steve Tandy's first game in charge, which saw Wales concede seven tries in a 52-28 defeat to a powerful Argentine side. This result marked a record victory for Argentina over Wales. Despite the heavy scoreline, Morgan was a standout performer, described as being 'by some distance his team's best player' on the day.
'He's not looking good for the rest of the autumn,' a concerned Tandy stated regarding his captain. 'He's devastated. Ultimately, it's just about Jac recovering. With that, it gives someone else an opportunity. It's always a blow to lose any player. It's not only just the player, but the man.'
Injury Strikes During Moment of Brilliance
The cruel twist of fate for Morgan was that the shoulder injury happened as he scored a try for his team. The flanker, who was Wales' sole Test Lion during the summer tour of Australia, had been producing a series of impressive moments in both attack and defence throughout the match. He was seen clutching his left shoulder immediately after crossing the try line.
Tandy praised Morgan's performance, saying, 'Jac was outstanding. The try he scored was unbelievable. There will be tough moments in this journey.' This sentiment was echoed by Argentina captain Julian Montoya, who said, 'He's an outstanding player. I'm not surprised by the way he played. He's very, very good week in, week out. I wish him a good recovery.'
With challenging fixtures against Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa looming, Wales will be significantly weakened without their influential leader. Tandy confirmed he will need to call up a replacement, with Leicester's Tommy Reffell appearing the most likely candidate. Dewi Lake is set to succeed Morgan as team captain for the upcoming matches.
While Wales showed some promise in attack, scoring four tries, defensive issues and ill-discipline proved costly. The sin-binning of Ben Thomas just before half-time was particularly damaging, allowing Argentina to score two crucial tries and establish a commanding 31-14 lead at the break from which Wales never recovered.
To compound Welsh woes, number eight Aaron Wainwright also limped from the field late in the game, adding to the team's growing injury concerns.
