Wing Owen Lane has replaced his Cardiff Blues teammate Josh Navidi in Wales’ World Cup squad.
It was confirmed on Monday that Navidi would miss the rest of the tournament due to a hamstring strain sustained in Wales’ quarter-final encounter with France on Sunday.
Coach Warren Gatland has since confirmed that Lane – who plays alongside Navidi for the Blues – has been brought into the Welsh squad for the remainder of their stay in the World Cup.
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The 21-year-old Lane’s presence in the Wales camp could point to Jonathan Davies’ injury being more serious that initially thought.
Davies sustained a knee injury during Wales’ Pool D match against Fiji on 9 October and was subsequently left out of their last pool game against Uruguay. The centre was then selected in the starting lineup for the quarter-final against France but pulled out before kick-off due to the same injury.
Gatland’s selection of Lane, who plays wing and centre, could therefore indicate that the player was brought in to provide midfield cover in case Davies is ruled out of Sunday’s semi-final against the Springboks.
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Photo: https://www.wru.wales
