MY ACCOUNT
Taulupe Faletau has been called up to the Wales squad for the remainder of the Six Nations ahead of their clash with England on Saturday.
The Bath forward suffered a leg injury in the second Test between the British and Irish Lions and South Africa in July, leading to a seven-month injury lay-off.
Faletau returned to action with a brief stint against Wasps earlier in February before playing the whole game against Leicester Tigers last Saturday.
Christ Tshiunza has been sent back to Exeter Chiefs with a hamstring problem, opening the door for Faletau – who has 86 international caps to his name – to come into Wayne Pivac’s squad for the visit to Twickenham.
“It was a rolled ankle, and I probably ran back too early and just had issues with my calves for a rolling two weeks that ended up being seven months,” Faletau said of his previous leg injury.
“It was a rolling two weeks for a long time, then I would get to the end of that two weeks, I would run again and it would ping again. It was basically that for the whole time.
“I am just enjoying getting out there, whether it’s Bath or Wales. Whatever it is, I just want to enjoy the games because seven months out wasn’t fun.”
The 31-year-old will leave Bath to join Cardiff Rugby at the end of the season.
Current coach Neal Hatley reserved special praise for the back rower, who he feels will be an undoubted success on the international stage again.
“He is like a chameleon,” Hatley said. “You put him in a level up and he just blends in.
“He has that innate ability that, whatever the quality of the players he is playing with, he is the best player on the pitch and he has done that for ages.”
Pivac’s next decision will be whether to include Faletau in his matchday squad against Eddie Jones’ England, after Taine Basham, Jac Morgan and Ross Moriarty all performed strongly against Scotland.
Wales sit fifth in the Six Nations table after bouncing back from a 29-7 loss against Ireland with a 20-17 victory over Scotland in round two as they look to defend their title.
