Alun Wyn Jones is expected to miss Six Nations tournament
Alun Wyn Jones is set to undergo surgery on his shoulder
©PA
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac is expecting skipper Alun Wyn Jones to miss the Six Nations tournament next year following a shoulder injury.
The 36-year-old sustained the injury during the recently concluded game against New Zealand last weekend at Principality Stadium where he was replaced in the 19th minute. The encounter also saw Jones surpass Richie McCaw's record of most caps for a single country.
“I don’t think he will be available for the Six Nations," he said.
“You learn a lot about the worth of people when they are not there. I think a lot of people take Alun Wyn for granted — he has always been there and got seniority.
“That leadership is really important. The essence is on others to step up and take that role on.”
The upcoming clash against South Africa on Saturday would have been Jones' 150th Test for Wales but now he need to wait until summer next year as he is set to undergo a surgery on his shoulder.
Speaking about the prospect of Jones featuring in the 2023 World Cup, Pivac said: "The intention is always to see if Al can get to the World Cup. I think it’s a realistic goal, personally.
“You’ve just got to see him in training and when he is playing, the efforts he puts in. I don’t see anything going anywhere near backwards in terms of his performances.
“A bit of time off, we spoke about this before Al left camp. It’s not ideal for him.
“We are all looking forward to him playing 150 Test matches for Wales.”
Following the game against South Africa, Wales will also host Fiji and Australia on 14th and 20th November respectively.
