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.
atlas
Guest
are you in Australia? curious about whether these sites are accessible there.
Emric
Guest
Thanks Atlas i'm watching it now good try scored by Georgia just now.. big crowd international rugby is looking healthy
Emric
Guest
they bid for England V All Blacks and Wales v All Blacks I believe.
atlas
Guest
test run - right now I have Georgia v Fiji from a wiziwig link http://1tv.ge/live/server/usa two other links didn't work for me. looks quite a crowd, and looked as if they all stood in silence for both anthems, and a polite applause for the Fijians. Then lots of whistling during the cibi (Fiji's haka) followed by more applause. Commentary in Georgian, language should not be an issue for Wales NZ (or is the a Welsh language commentary team, maybe there is?)
David #
Guest
Setsnts sports have it. Channel 510 on Austar.
atlas
Guest
hi - provided you have a good high speed broadband connection (something i never found in NZ!) use wiziwig http://www.wiziwig.tv/competition.php?part=sports&discipline=rugby (am in Thailand) but I understand there may be problems with these free-to-net sites in NZ and Australia? They have links to all tonight's matches - even Georgia v Fiji in an hour's time, and show they will have 4 stations for the Wales-NZ match, usually this means a choice of commentary teams, 1 will be the NZ one, other usually from SkyUK which i prefer. other options are: http://www.thefirstrow.eu/sport/rugby.html and http://www.vipboxsports.eu/sports/rugby.html sometimes these sites cut to the game almost right on kick-off, and stop at final whistle. You may miss the haka, and anthems, and the 'mate it was a game of two halves, all credit to the other side' after match speeches.
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Just don't let them do their Haka in the dressing room again guys. It turned out really bad last time
katzilla
Roar Guru
Yeah what I don't get is why they bid only for the All Black games and not for the England or Wales package? I'm sure England rugby in England is a bigger draw card then the All Blacks
Wales15
Guest
THe last 20 is notoriously our strongest period.
Emric
Guest
They offered more money for the rights Katzilla - Rugby is slowly moving away from the international market and tv companies are being asked to offer up more and more cash for these types of games. Fox was simply outbid by Setanta - the only Rugby games fox part owns the rights to are super rugby and rugby championship (i hate that name) everything else is up for grabs normally to the tv station offering the most money
WEST
Roar Guru
well done nj43.....and get to look at hot asian woman. Good work Emric
Emric
Guest
DCNZ Nj43 dot com shows live sport and i've watched all black games there before which have not been shown on foxtel or tv.
WEST
Roar Guru
YOUR JOKING...foxtel isnt showing the AB game, WTF fox sports is a JOKE a million kiwis in Australia that means nearly a million viewers. Not to hard to work out. Dont worry Bazza Wales will morph into the red dragon and try and tear the All Blacks apart driven on by drunken Welshmen screaming for blood and no mercy. Till near the end as you said and there beer goes to there heads and they become semi conscious as will there team lose the focus and enthusiasm. Red Dragon losses its puff and the screams become slurs. The All Blacks will turn on them like a black knight and rip its heart out. IMO....oh Foxsports you..####ers
katzilla
Roar Guru
Wizwig. Check it out. Im not quite sure why Setanta got the rights for Wales/England v All Blacks. I originally thought it was Setanta who had the rights to all English games, but SA v England is on Foxtel tonight. Just All Blacks games behind the extra Setanta pay wall.
Dcnz
Guest
Oh man foxtel is not showing the game ... Does anyone please know where it can be watched on net ?
Bazza Allblack Supporter
Roar Rookie
The trouble with all these injuries and Wales crappy form recently is that there will be an expectation that The all blacks will wallop Wales. I still expect Wales to be competitive and give us a decent go , but to fade in last 20. More interested in the English game, - depending what the result of that game is let's us know how we'll the wbs actually did beating England.