Wales Rugby Union Star Taulupe Faletau Set for Long-Awaited Return
Cardiff and national team stalwart Taulupe Faletau is poised to make his highly anticipated comeback to the pitch after a prolonged injury layoff. The seasoned number eight, who has proudly donned the famous red jersey on 104 occasions for Wales, suffered a broken arm during the team’s World Cup triumph against Georgia last October, followed by a subsequent calf issue that kept him sidelined throughout this year’s Six Nations campaign.
However, the British and Irish Lions Test veteran has now rejoined Cardiff’s training sessions and is available for selection in their upcoming United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against Ulster on Friday evening. Faletau’s return to action couldn’t come at a better time, with the summer tour to Australia on the horizon and Wales’ head coach Warren Gatland having lost a number of experienced campaigners to international retirement in the past 12 months, including the legendary Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, George North, Dan Biggar, Leigh Halfpenny, and Rhys Webb.
“Faletau’s return to action couldn’t come at a better time, with the summer tour to Australia on the horizon and Wales’ head coach Warren Gatland having lost a number of experienced campaigners to international retirement in the past 12 months.”
In Faletau’s extended absence, Cardiff’s back-row duo of Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin have earned call-ups to the national team, while Aaron Wainwright has deputized impressively in the number eight role for Wales. However, the experienced and formidable Faletau will undoubtedly bolster Gatland’s options as the Welsh prepare for their upcoming challenges, both in the URC and on the international stage.
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