Wales centre Ben Thomas to miss Nations Championship restart
Wales centre Ben Thomas will miss the restart of the Nations Championship after being sidelined by a calf injury as Wales prepare to open the competition against Japan at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, 7 November; Cardiff team-mate Taulupe Faletau is expected to feature before the tournament returns in November.
Wales head coach Steve Tandy is due to name his autumn squad next week. Thomas, 27, who started at inside centre for Wales' 43-0 defeat to South Africa in Durban in July, has been ruled out of the restart with a calf problem. He has played 19 internationals for Wales and shared the number 12 role with Joe Hawkins in 2026 for Tandy's side, while Eddie James has been regularly selected at outside centre but is an option at inside centre. "I think he'll be able to definitely form part of the Nations Championship, but might not recover for the first or second game," said Cardiff head coach Corniel van Zyl.
Taulupe Faletau, who has been at Cardiff since 2022, faced another fitness setback prior to Cardiff's 29-5 United Rugby Championship defeat by Leinster in Dublin last Saturday. He had been named in Cardiff's starting line-up on Thursday afternoon but was withdrawn just before kick-off because, according to van Zyl, "He was probably just a little bit uncomfortable in himself and the way he felt about his readiness to play the game." The 35-year-old was not fielded for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury at Sharks in March.
Van Zyl described the decision to withdraw Faletau as a matter of player honesty and downplayed long-term concern. "Being honest with each other, and if you're not ready to go, then say it. That is exactly what happened. "There are no major concerns in terms of long-term injuries or not being available potentially this week. There are no concerns of that." When asked whether Faletau will play in the next couple of weeks, van Zyl replied: "I believe so, 100%. "That's definitely the plan. Like I said, it's nothing new, it's just whether we get him to a game."
Cardiff have two fixtures before Wales regroup: an away trip to Northampton on Sunday in Europe's Champions Cup opener, followed five days later by a URC home match against Sharks.
Taine Basham, who joined Cardiff from Dragons in 2025, was a very late inclusion in Dublin after travelling in case of a late Faletau absence and went on to be his side's most dynamic carrier. Van Zyl said of Basham: "I have to take my hat off for Taine because it was less than a minute to kick-off and then all of a sudden he had to strap his legs and put his mouth guard in. "It was pleasing to see how he reacted to that situation and he performed really well, so credit to his character." Basham, 26, won the last of his 17 Wales caps against England in the 2024 Six Nations and is described as the form number eight in Welsh domestic rugby, but faces strong competition for selection in the back-row.
Van Zyl suggested Wales will consider Basham's recent form when selecting: "If you look at the back end of last season, where he came into his own, and this season's form, I've got no doubt they will definitely look at him," he said.
Tandy will name the autumn squad next week, with Wales opening against Japan at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, 7 November, and then hosting New Zealand and Australia in the forthcoming fixtures.
