Wales consider Taine Plumtree for shock World Cup call

Taine Plumtree playing for Wellington
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Wales head coach Warren Gatland is considering new Scarlets signing Taine Plumtree for the World Cup.

The back row has arrived from New Zealand where he was playing Super Rugby for Auckland-based Blues and provincial rugby for Wellington.

Born in Swansea, the 23-year-old is the son of ex-Swansea head coach and All Blacks assistant John Plumtree.

Gatland takes his squad to Switzerland on Monday for two weeks with Plumtree now in line to join them.

Any shock call-up for Plumtree would come just a week after his signing to join Scarlets next season.

He represented New Zealand at the 2019 World Rugby U20 Championship, where he played against Wales, but has not been capped at senior level.

He went on to make his Super Rugby debut for the Blues in 2021 and has continued to impress for Wellington, including a hat-trick of tries against Northland.

The 6ft 5in flanker, who can play across the back row, was not named in Gatland’s original 54-man squad in May.

However, Plumtree would provide an extra option for this autumn’s World Cup, with Justin Tipuric and Josh Navidi having retired from international rugby and Ross Moriarty and Josh Macleod also both unavailable.

Gatland’s squad already includes Taine Basham, Dan Lydiate, Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright, Taulupe Faletau and Christ Tshiunza.

There are 47 players in the extended training group though only 44 are set to travel to Fiesch for France 2023 preparations.

Faletau is expected to join the squad for the second week in the Alps as he recovers from a calf injury, while wing Alex Cuthbert and fly-half Owen Williams are missing for personal reasons.

Wales will also travel to Turkey later this month ahead of warm-up games against England and South Africa.

Gatland’s side open their World Cup campaign against Fiji on 10 September.

*This story was first published by BBC