Wales have been left scrambling on the eve of their Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham.
Scrum coach Duncan Jones suffered a freak double knee injury at training.
The 47-year-old will require surgery after an accidental collision during a live session this week, leaving head coach Steve Tandy without a specialist scrum coach.
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“It’s tough, bless him, and was an absolute freak injury,” said Tandy. “It wasn’t even a high-impact collision, but he’s suffered injuries to both knees. It’s a blow for us because Duncan brings so much energy to the group and was buzzing around.”
Jones, a former loosehead prop who has been part of the Ospreys coaching setup since 2018, had only recently rejoined the national camp. His absence now forces Wales to consider whether to draft in additional scrum expertise for the tournament.
Tandy still has Matt Sherratt and Danny Wilson as permanent assistants, while Dragons pair Dan Lydiate and Rhys Patchell have again been involved following their defensive and kicking roles during the November internationals. Wilson, a former hooker, has previously overseen set-piece duties and could again be asked to step in.
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Tandy admitted the timing of Jones’ injury is far from ideal, but stressed the focus remains on the coach rather than the inconvenience.
“I’m disappointed for Duncan because I know how much it means to him to coach his country and be around the group,” he said.
“He was still in camp on Wednesday reviewing scrums, even though he couldn’t get down to the field. It is a distraction, but our feelings are for Duncan. He’s a great character and the players absolutely respect what he does.”
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Photo: Ospreys Rugby/Facebook
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