George North has joined Wales’ already lengthy casualty list on Thursday when the winger was ruled out of Saturday’s Test against New Zealand in Cardiff with a hip injury.
The 20-year-old was injured in training on Tuesday and his place on the left wing at the Millennium Stadium will be filled by Scarlets teammate Liam Williams.
North has scored 11 tries in 25 Tests and was considered to represent one of Wales’s best hopes of breaking through world champions New Zealand’s defence.
Williams won his one previous Wales cap against the Barbarians – a match most countries do not classify as a full international – in June.
He has impressed for the Scarlets so far this season, but in his preferred position of fullback.
North could return for Wales’s final match of the European autumn campaign against Australia on December 1.
But his injury has seen him join Adam Jones, Dan Lydiate, Alun Wyn Jones and Josh Turnbull, Richard Hibbard, Dan Biggar and Ian Evans in being unavailable this weekend.
However, centre Jonathan Davies is fit to face the All Blacks while hooker Matthew Rees also returns after a calf problem.
Six Nations Grand Slam champions Wales, last year’s World Cup semi-finalists in New Zealand, have already suffered damaging home defeats by Argentina and Samoa this month.
Wales haven’t beaten New Zealand since 1953, a run of 24 consecutive losses, with the All Blacks arriving in Cardiff on a run of 19 Tests unbeaten against all opponents.
Wales: Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Liam Williams, Rhys Priestland, Mike Phillips, Toby Faletau, Sam Warburton (capt), Ryan Jones, Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Aaron Jarvis, Matthew Rees, Paul James. Replacements: Ken Owens, Gethin Jenkins, Scott Andrews, Aaron Shingler, Justin Tipuric, Tavis Knoyle, James Hook, Scott Williams.
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