Autumn Nations Series 2024: Wales' Dafydd Jenkins to miss November action after surgery but eyes December return
By Leon Imber
Published 15/10/2024 at 19:52 GMT+1
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Wales lock Dafydd Jenkins has confirmed he will be out of action for the Autumn Nations Series, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, in order to recover from shoulder and knee surgery. The Exeter Chiefs captain picked up the knee issue during the summer's international action in Australia, while he has also been struggling with a rotator cuff injury.
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Video credit: SNTV
Dafydd Jenkins said he will be unavailable for Wales' 2024 Autumn Nations Series campaign, with the lock targeting a December return as he recovers from knee and shoulder surgery.
The Exeter Chiefs captain suffered the knee issue during international action in July, and has also been struggling with a rotator cuff injury. The 21-year-old said he will "definitely" be back in action for the 2025 Six Nations.
"Unfortunately I'm missing the autumn but I'll definitely be up and running by the Six Nations," Jenkins said.
Warren Gatland is set to name his squad for the Autumn Nations Series next week. Wales will face Fiji, Australia and South Africa in Cardiff in November, with all the action live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Jenkins' absence could see returns for Adam Beard and Teddy Williams as like-for-like replacements. The pair were sidelined by injury during Wales' summer internationals.
Gatland appointed Jenkins as captain for Wales' 2024 Six Nations campaign, and the Exeter lock has revealed the psychological difficulty of his lengthy lay-off with injury.
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"It's been horrible," he said. "It's probably the first time I've had such a long time off. It's definitely harder mentally more than physically.
"But it's given me time to reflect on things I've probably not achieved.
"I've never been more motivated to get back on the pitch and put it all right. The break has definitely made me more hungry than I've ever been."
Jenkins has earned 19 Wales caps since his international emergence in 2022, and the young talent has been ever-present for Exeter since breaking through at the age of 18.
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Exeter Chiefs' Dafydd Jenkins in Premiership action
Image credit: Getty Images
He added: "This is probably just getting my body right. It's probably the first time I've actually felt fresh in four years.
"Making my Exeter debut when I was 18, and then my Wales debut at 19, it's the first time I've had a bit of time to recover. The jump from under-20s level to seniors is huge and I probably underestimated that.
"It's given me time to gym a lot more than I would have and I'm looking to put a few extra kilograms of muscle on.
"I am not running yet, but when I get to that block, I'm going to push myself and be hitting personal bests."
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Stream the Gallagher Premiership, 2024 Autumn Nations Series and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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