Wales forward Christ Tshiunza will miss their Autumn Nations Series campaign through a foot injury, his club side Exeter Chiefs have confirmed.
Tshiunza, who has play both lock and flanker in the past, sustained the knock in Exeter’s 33-33 draw against Northampton Saints last weekend and was substituted after just 40 minutes at Franklin’s Gardens.
Foot injuries are nothing new for the 6′ 6 forward, however. He suffered the same injury in his first outing with the Chiefs after the 2023 World Cup and was sidelined for five months as a result.
‘It has been found that he has broken his foot’
This time around, Tshiunza is only expected to miss eight to 12 weeks of action, but that timeframe still puts him out of contention for Wales’ Autumn Nations campaign, where they take on Argentina, Japan, the All Blacks and the Springboks.
“Christ came off at half-time last weekend in some pain,” said Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter. “On further investigation this week, it has been found that he has broken his foot.
“Following further assessment, the decision has been made that the injury will be able to heal by itself over time and not require surgery.”
While the news he will not need surgery is welcome, especially with the lock having already undergone a procedure the first time around, the length of his recovery leaves incoming Wales boss Steve Tandy with his first major headache ahead of their November Tests.
But, just who will he turn to fill that void? Well, here is our look at the Wales lock depth charts.
Front-runners: Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard
With Tshiunza fully out of the picture, it should see Dafydd Jenkins and Adam Beard come straight back into contention after their respective returns to action. The pair both missed Wales’ summer tour, with Jenkins undergoing surgery and Beard rested, but they bring so much grit and ballast to this side that could be crucial for the autumn. Jenkins and Beard are also really good lineout operators, which could give Tandy a really nice platform to build a strong platform off moving forward.
Crucially, though, they also bring some serious leadership with them. Beard has over 50 Test caps to his name and featured on a British and Irish Lions tour in the past, while Jenkins has also captained the national side in recent times and is already an established member of the leadership group among the players. That will be so pivotal in helping Tandy turn the ship around and getting Wales to be a real competitive force once again.
In the mix: Will Rowlands, Freddie Thomas, Teddy Williams
You would also expect Will Rowlands, Freddie Thomas and Teddy Williams to be in Tandy’s mind heading into the autumn, especially with Tshiunza now out of contention. 34-year-old Rowlands, like Beard and Jenkins, would just bring heaps of experience and leadership to the group, and just act as another calm head to help Tandy’s rebuild come to life.
Thomas and Williams have only just begun to cut their teeth at Test level, with Thomas having four caps to his name and Williams sitting on nine, but that could also be a good thing for Wales. Alongside Jenkins, the pair look set to be involved with the national team for a good while and could very easily become part of a new foundation among the Wales squad moving forward. They should also improve with their continued involvement at Test level, which again will only help Wales in the long-term.
Outside bets: Ben Carter, James Ratti
Summer tourists Ben Carter and James Ratti could also see themselves called into the squad this autumn with Tshiunza unavailable. Carter didn’t get to put his best foot forward this July, after coming off just one minute into the Test One defeat against Japan and then being sent home early, but he does fit the age profile Tandy will want ahead of this upcoming rebuild and could establish himself as a key man.
Ratti had a better time of it this summer, and his industrious work in both Tests could see him thrust back into the squad at some point this autumn. He, too, will also only improve with more exposure to Test rugby, and at 27 still has plenty of his best rugby ahead of him.