Wales Captain Dewi Lake to Miss South Africa Test
Wales captain Dewi Lake is expected to miss the upcoming Nations Championship match against South Africa on Saturday.
Ryan Elias is anticipated to start at hooker for Wales, with Dragons' Elliot Dee set to travel to Durban as backup cover.
Jac Morgan is now projected to captain Wales for the final game of the season at Kings Park, having assumed the captaincy when Lake was sidelined due to a groin injury during the 35-21 defeat by Argentina.
This will mark the first occasion that Steve Tandy has been without Lake, who has started all 11 Tests since Tandy took charge last year.
Team Changes and Player Updates
Elias is likely to make his first Test start since the opening round of the 2024 Six Nations against Scotland.
Cardiff's Evan Lloyd is the other hooker included in the squad and could make his first international appearance in over a year. Dee’s anticipated arrival in South Africa is expected to provide additional cover and experience.
Morgan remains the clear choice to captain the team against the world champions unless Tandy decides to rest the open-side flanker.
Recent Performance and Rankings
Wales dropped to 12th in the world rankings following their loss to Argentina and suffered a record 73-0 defeat against the Springboks in their last encounter in November.
