Dafydd Jenkins a doubt for Wales’ autumn internationals

Wales lock Dafydd Jenkins looks increasingly unlikely to be fit for the autumn internationals.

Jenkins, who has won 19 caps, skippered Wales in all five games of last season’s Six Nations campaign.

He was then unavailable to face South Africa in June, with hooker Dewi Lake taking over as captain for that match and subsequent two-Test Australia tour.

Surgery

The 21-year-old underwent knee and shoulder surgery during the summer.

But while Chiefs’ England centre Henry Slade is on course to return after a shoulder operation in the next month, Jenkins is slightly behind that rate of progress.

“He (Jenkins) is probably the guy who is behind the others – Henry (Slade) and Tommy Wyatt – at getting back in that Premiership Cup period (November 1-22),” Exeter rugby director Rob Baxter said.

“Not because of anything other than he had the two operations – knee and shoulder – and they don’t complement each other massively when you are talking about rehab.

“Each one limits the other a little bit. Having said that, Daf is one of those guys who has always been a great trainer, and he is just the same in rehab.

‘Back soon’

Baxter added: “If anyone is going to get back soon or on time from an injury, it’s going to be Daf.

“If he can make the tail-end of the Premiership Cup, that would be fantastic, but he is not quite at the level where the other two are.

“The other guys we are expecting to see them in the Premiership Cup period being available, but he may be that little bit behind.”

Wales have lost their last nine Tests and kick off their autumn programme against Fiji on November 10, followed by games against Australia and South Africa.