Wales face anxious wait over Dewi Lake ahead of Nations Championship clash against South Africa

Wales could be without captain Dewi Lake for their Nations Championship fixture against South Africa this weekend, with the hooker racing to overcome a groin injury before Saturday’s meeting in Durban.

Lake was forced off during Wales’ 35-21 defeat to Argentina and remains a doubt for the clash with the reigning world champions. While he has not been ruled out, the coming days will determine whether he is fit enough to lead Steve Tandy’s side at Kings Park.

Assistant coach Danny Wilson revealed there has been some encouraging progress after Lake returned to light training.

“That’s a real positive,” said Wilson.

“That’s ruled him more in than out at the moment.

“But we’ve got to see how the next 24 hours go, how he recovers from the light training session today and how he pulls up.

“We’ll do that and make the relevant decisions off the back of it.”

Rather than returning home, Lake has stayed with the squad, which has been expanded to 35 players for the final leg of the tour.

Should the skipper fail to recover in time, Ryan Elias is expected to start at hooker for the first time since the opening round of the 2024 Six Nations. Dragons hooker Elliot Dee has also been called into the squad as experienced cover, while Gloucester lock Freddie Thomas has travelled after Taine Plumtree picked up an injury.

If Lake is unavailable, Jac Morgan would be the leading contender to captain Wales after taking over the armband when the hooker left the field against Argentina.

The match represents another huge challenge for Wales, who dropped to 12th in the world rankings following defeat to Los Pumas. Their last encounter with South Africa also ended in disappointment, suffering a record 73-0 defeat when the sides met last November.

South Africa, meanwhile, have made sweeping changes despite winning both of their opening Nations Championship fixtures. Rassie Erasmus has refreshed his starting XV with 10 alterations, including Test debuts for Jaco Williams, Vusi Moyo, Ruben van Heerden and Carlu Sadie.

Pieter-Steph du Toit will captain the side again in Siya Kolisi’s absence, while several established internationals, including Eben Etzebeth, Handre Pollard, Franco Mostert, Andre Esterhuizen, Canan Moodie and Ox Nche, remain sidelined through injury.

The Springboks have already recorded convincing victories over England and Scotland and are aiming to complete a perfect opening block in the competition.

Erasmus explained that the selection reflects a commitment to giving opportunities across his squad while maintaining respect for the challenge Wales will provide.

“We told the players from the start of the season that if everything played out well, we would give everyone in the squad a chance to play in the competition, and we are excited to see what the uncapped players, as well as those who have not been in the mix for a while, bring to the team,” he said.

“This squad shows an exciting mix of youth and experience, and while we are under no illusions about the threat Wales poses, we are looking forward to seeing what these players can do.”

The South Africa head coach also believes Wales are a team “on the rise” and said they “will come out with a point to prove this weekend.”

After making the long journey from Argentina earlier this week, Wales will name their team on Thursday as they look to finish their Nations Championship campaign with a statement result against the world champions.