The new Wales coach confirmed the news after the 52-28 defeat at the Principality Stadium
Wales’ Jac Morgan with his arm in a sling(Image: PA Wire)
Steve Tandy says captain Jac Morgan is unlikely to feature in the rest of Wales’ autumn campaign as the new national team coach confirmed the ‘devastated’ back-row had dislocated his shoulder.
The Wales captain was forced off after injuring himself in the process of scoring Wales’ third try against Argentina on Sunday. Wales fell to a 52-28 in Tandy’s first game in charge, although Morgan, as usual, was outstanding in his time on the pitch – with the British and Irish Lions back-row his usual influential self.
However, Tandy now faces going through the rest of his maiden campaign without the 25-year-old – with the new head coach confirming he would call up a replacement in the coming days.
“It’s always a blow to lose any player,” said Tandy afterwards. “But losing Jac, he was outstanding out there.
“The try he scored was unbelievable from that distance. It’s a blow.
“Not only just the player, but the man. But then it gives someone else an opportunity. This group, we spoke about being tough. There will be tough moments in this journey.”
When asked about how serious the injury was, Tandy added: “He’s probably not looking good for the rest of the autumn.
“He dislocated his shoulder. He’s probably going to be no good.
“I know, I’ve seen him in the changing rooms, he’s devastated. Ultimately, it’s just about Jac recovering. With that, it gives someone else an opportunity.”
Leicester openside Tommy Reffell and Ospreys back-row Harri Deaves are two possible options for Tandy to call up, with both having narrowly missed out on the original squad.
“We’ll definitely call someone up,” said Tandy. “We’ll discuss that as a coaching group later.
“But we’re losing Jac and there’s some banged-up bodies. We’ll assess in the next 24 hours.
“We’ve got some really good players. Tommy is an outstanding international, playing well for Leicester. Harri Deaves has been unbelievable for the Ospreys for a consistent period. We’ve got options.”
Tandy also offered an update on No. 8 Aaron Wainwright, who was replaced in the second half.
“I think he had a fair bit of cramp,” he said. “We’ve got to look at him and assess him over the next couple of hours.”
Wales face Japan next Saturday, before taking on New Zealand and South Africa.
Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.
You can also follow us on social media on our X account, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
For more exclusive stories and in-depth analysis, you can sign up for the Inside Welsh Rugby substack newsletter here.