Ceri Jones in for Adam Jones
Wales have been forced into a late change at tight-head prop for the second Test against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday after Adam Jones was ruled out by a torn calf muscle.
Harlequins prop Ceri Jones gets his first Wales start as pre-match replacement for his Ospreys’ namesake.
And that was not the end of the injury worries for Wales with coach Gareth Jenkins revealing a back injury sustained by teenage prop Jamie Corsi last week has forced them to call up Worcester’s Chris Horsman.
“We are making a late change. Adam Jones took a training injury on Wednesday that’s going to take him out of the Test team for Saturday and he’s being replaced by Ceri Jones, who will start at number three,” said Jenkins.
“Chris Horsman is on his way and is due to be with us by 11.00am (2.00am BST) on Friday. He will fill the bench cover when he arrives.”
Jones, 29, is a regular at loosehead in the Guinness Premiership, but has also done duty on the other side of the scrum. He replaced loosehead Iestyn Thomas during last weekend’s 29-23 defeat in Sydney, winning his first cap in the process.
“I don’t see it as putting pressure on Ceri. I see it as an opportunity for him. He’s played tighthead lots of times and he’s very comfortable in that position so that’s an opportunity,” said Jenkins.
“We wouldn’t have planned it this way, but now it’s happened we’re going to take the positive out of the situation, realising we have quality cover coming over as well in Chris Horsman and we’re pretty positive about our selection.
“Chris was at home when we made the call to him and was ready to put his bag on his shoulder there and then. It was a great response as far as we were concerned.”
