Dan Lydiate among absentees as Wales beset by injury woes

Wales will be without four players who began their Guinness Six Nations win over Ireland for Saturday’s round two clash with Scotland.

Flanker Dan Lydiate suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the weekend and is facing a series of assessments and consultations to assess the extent of the problem amid fears he may miss the rest of the season.

And, as coach Wayne Pivac began to count the true cost of his side’s 21-16 victory at Principality Stadium, scrum-half Tomos Williams has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while centre Johnny Williams and winger Hallam Amos are both sidelined with head injuries.

Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams is one of four players ruled out of Saturday’s game against Scotland (PA Images/David Davies)

Pivac, who endured a miserable first year in the job, admitted the first major victory of his reign was tempered by a series of injury problems which left him “counting the walking wounded”.

Wales say player call-ups will be made and announced in due course following Covid-19 testing and results.

Pivac is hoping centre George North will be fit to face Scotland after he scratched an eye during the second half on Sunday.

Wales are hoping George North will be fine to face Scotland (David Davies/PA)

But Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies will again be missing at Murrayfield as he continues to nurse an ankle injury and Dragons centre Nick Tompkins is struggling with a shoulder injury.

Second-half tries from North and tournament debutant Louis Rees-Zammit, plus 11 points from the boot of Leigh Halfpenny, saw the hosts capitalise on Peter O’Mahony’s early dismissal in Cardiff as Wales hung on for victory over their 14-man opponents.