Rugby World Cup 2023: How do Wales replace injured number eight Taulupe Faletau?

Taulupe Faletau waves to Wales' fans as he says farewell to this year's World Cup

How do you replace Taulupe Faletau? It is the question Wales head coach Warren Gatland will aim to answer this week after the star number eight broke his arm against Georgia and was ruled out of the rest of the World Cup.

As his side prepare to face Argentina next Saturday in Marseille, Gatland must fill the void left by a man who has played 104 internationals for Wales and toured three times with the British and Irish Lions.

Wales had not suffered a major injury in the tournament before the victory over Georgia in Nantes, but the image of Faletau clutching his arm as he left the field was the one no Welsh fan wanted to see.

News of the diagnosis soon confirmed Wales' worst fears. They will have to form a new-look back row next weekend.

While an addition to the squad in place of Faletau is imminent, his starting replacement is set to come from within the current party.

Wainwright a natural fit

Aaron Wainwright is playing in his second World Cup

The first thing to say is Aaron Wainwright has been identified as the natural option to switch from blind-side flanker to number eight.

Wainwright wore the number six jersey in three of Wales' four pool victories.

"It'll probably mean moving Aaron to number eight and see what the make-up of the back row is going to be," said Gatland.

Wainwright has more experience in the number eight role than six in the past few years and has stated recently it is his preferred position.

The Dragons man was the number eight option in the World Cup warm-up games, which Faletau missed with a calf injury.

"There's a huge amount of growth across this tournament in people like Aaron Wainwright," said forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys.

"I think he has been exceptional. I know, and he knows, there's more in him."

So the conundrum then becomes who wears the number six jersey?

Is Dan the man?

The one specialist option in the squad is 35-year-old Dan Lydiate, who has started just one tournament game, against Portugal, and returned to Wales last week for the birth of his child.

"We've got a couple of scenarios there in terms of how we want to rejig that [back row]," added Humphreys.

"Dan Lydiate hasn't played a whole lot of rugby, so he's an option."

Other possibilities would be Christ Tshiunza, who has been named as a lock but played all of last season for Exeter at number six, or asking Taine Basham to start rather than come off the bench.

"We've got quite a few options there. Christ as well, who's down as a second row but also covers six," added Humphreys.

"Taine Basham's been a big player for us off the bench. He's had some big impacts."

Two magnificent sevens?

Tommy Reffell (centre) and Jac Morgan (right) have started in the same back-row for Wales against Scotland in February 2023

If you were selecting based solely on form then Tommy Reffell and Jac Morgan would be either side of Wainwright in the starting side next weekend.

Co-captain Morgan was outstanding in the open-side flanker role in the first three matches and has emerged as one of the stars of the tournament so far.

Morgan was rested for the final pool fixture with Reffell given an opportunity, and he responded with a player-of-the-match performance.

The issue could be that naming two specialist sevens may upset the balance of the Wales back row, although Morgan has started at blind-side and number eight for Ospreys and Wales.

"We've got two outstanding sevens, so do you look at that as an option?" said Gatland.

"But then that takes away from something else, maybe your line-out option isn't quite as strong.

"Depending on who the quarter-final opponent is, that could [change] what we decide to do."

Bitter blow

Whatever Gatland and his coaching team decide, it will be hard to mirror what Faletau, affectionately know as Toby, offers.

"Whoever steps in, I'm sure is going to step up to the plate," said Humphreys.

"We're blessed with the options we have, but it still doesn't detract from the fact Toby has been a massive player for us.

"It's a big loss. He's a true world-class player. I think you can't replace what he does in terms of his intelligence and what he does, how he's always turning up at the right place at the right time.

"There's a huge onus on everybody else to bring more. People like Aaron, Taine, Tommy, Dan, Jac and Christ, there's loads of people there who can give more and want to give more.

"They'll have to if we want to progress beyond the quarter-finals."

After the calf injury hampered his World Cup preparations, Faletau had been one of Wales' standout players at the tournament.

Only Faletau and wing Louis Rees-Zammit started all four pool games with the Wales management feeling the number eight needed game-time ahead of the knockout stages.

"It's tough for him (Faletau) because he pulled his calf and didn't take a huge part in the camps and pre-season work," said Gatland.

"That's why we continued to play him, because we felt he gets better game by game. We felt he was back to his best.

"He was excellent against Australia with his footwork and carrying, taking kick-offs and giving us go-forward. It's a big loss for us."