Josh Adams: Wales wing in race to be fit for New Zealand game

Josh Adams left the field against Dragons earlier this month having scored Cardiff's opening try

Wing Josh Adams is a doubt for Wales' opening Autumn Nations Series match against New Zealand on 5 November because of a thumb injury.

He is expected to be out for two to four weeks from the date of the injury suffered playing in Cardiff's win over Dragons on 16 October.

The All Blacks encounter comes three weeks after Adams suffered a chipped bone in a thumb.

But Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young says Taulupe Faletau should be fit.

Wales's first-choice number eight suffered a calf strain in the same game against his former side Dragons.

"Josh has a chipped bone on his thumb, which is anything between two and four weeks, but it doesn't need intervention and he hasn't got a splint on there," said Young.

"It's about pain management after two weeks. They [Wales players] leave us now to go into the Welsh camp and it'll be a decision for them, though it's not too serious."

Adams has played in every Wales game he has been fit for in the past year, with eight starts at wing, one at centre and one appearance off the bench to take his tally to 42.

Faletau has 91 caps including five successive starts before being injured for the final summer test in South Africa.

"I'd be very surprised if Taulupe isn't fit. He was down to play [against Stormers] but felt a twinge in his calf so we pulled him," explained Young.

Wales have already seen Cardiff full-back Liam Williams ruled out of the autumn series with a shoulder injury.

Ospreys wing Alex Cuthbert has been included in the Wales squad but is yet to play this season because of injury and is struggling to play before the opener against New Zealand.

Pivac's other wing options are Gloucester's Louis Rees-Zammit and the uncapped Dragons player Rio Dyer.

George North is another option but Pivac prefers the Ospreys back to play in the centre for Wales.

Wales will have to check on the fitness of Ospreys fly-half Gareth Anscombe, who was not available for Sunday's Dragons derby because of a rib injury suffered against Stormers, and Scarlets full-back Leigh Halfpenny, a late withdrawal from the loss in Connacht.

But Cardiff's Rhys Priestland, who can play at 10 or 15, was player of the match with 20 points in their win over Stormers.

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