Wales await Jones news

Ryan Jones is set to discover whether or not his World Cup dreams have been shattered by a shoulder injury.

The Wales number eight recently underwent an operation on the same shoulder he had reconstructed in 2005 and is due to meet a specialist later today.

Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins has already confirmed Jones will not be available for the World Cup warm-up international against England on August 4.

That already puts his World Cup place in some jeopardy, given the England game is the one and only opportunity Jenkins has to finalise his tournament squad. The 30-man party is to be named on August 14.

Jenkins said: “The surgeon, Ryan and our medical department meet later today and we will have a better idea of timescales then.

“You want a quality world-class player like Ryan fighting fit and ready to go. There was a concern he was having a niggle and so we took a precaution.

“It was a necessary procedure. They had to trim parts of the cartilage on his shoulder. We are right in what we have done because he has a big career in front of him and it was important that if there was a problem it was identified.

“England is the last chance to answer questions. After that England game we have to finalise the squad.”

There are also concerns over the fitness of Gavin Henson, who has been struggling with an Achilles injury that has kept him out of training for the last three weeks.

But Henson is expected to be fit to press his claims at Twickenham, if required.

Jenkins said: “Gavin Henson has had a difficult couple of weeks with an Achilles which has kept him off the training park. He is a frustrated young man at the moment because he has not been able to take part in the same training as the rest of the squad.

“But I feel everyone apart from Ryan will be available (for the England game).”

Jenkins declined to give any indication whether Jones would be considered for the World Cup squad even if he was not fit for the opening match against Canada in Nantes on September 9.

It could be the cut-off point is Wales’ pivotal pool clash with Australia in Cardiff on September 15.

But it would be a huge ask for Jones to start his first game since May against the Wallabies in one of the tournament’s biggest matches.

The rest of the Wales squad will be put through conditioning tests on Friday before heading to their World Cup base just outside Nantes for a week’s training camp.

With preparations restricted by the fact Wales have just one Test before the August 14 squad deadline – England have two – Jenkins had hoped to arrange a friendly fixture against club opposition in France for next week.

But even though Australia and New Zealand clash in Auckland this weekend in a Tri-Nations decider, tournament organisers refused Wales permission.

“There is no team in the northern hemisphere comfortable with the squads being announced on August 14,” said Jenkins.

“I wanted to play a competitive game in the training camp but that wasn’t allowed because you can only play friendly matches in August.”