Dewi Lake: Wales Six Nations blow as hooker and captain out for up to 12 weeks
Scarlets hooker Ryan Elias has been on Lake’s side during the autumn internationals but has missed the past three weeks with a neck injury and his side hope he will be back fit by mid-January.
Cardiff City’s Evan Lloyd was also named in the Wales squad in November, while Dragons player Elliot Dee made his debut this season Lost to Cardiff City on December 26 After recovering from ankle problems.
Lake hooker says he can still play for Wales Ospreys teammate Sam Parry, He left the national training team in June under controversial circumstances.
Wales head coach Warren Gatland says he did not mean to “disrespect” the 33-year-old by choosing to leave the team ahead of the summer internationals against South Africa at Twickenham and two Test matches in Australia .
Parry’s decision came after Gatland told him he was a fringe member of the party and would only act as cover for Wales’ other three hookers when the squad came together.
Gatland claims he was honest with Parry about his place in the Wales squad.
Parry insists he still has international ambitions.
“I’m free,” Parry said. “I’d love to (play for Wales) but I don’t really know if the people who choose it would think so. But I can play and hopefully if I perform well enough we’ll see what happens.
“I’m focusing on myself and playing for the Ospreys. Once you start thinking about if I have a chance here or if I’m going to be picked, then none of that happens.”
When asked directly what happened over the summer, Parry responded: “It was one of those things. It was this summer.”
“What happened happened. People have different opinions. They’re entitled to their opinions. That’s behind us now. It’s a new season, a new beginning.”
