Hooker Dewi Lake is a Wales injury worry ahead of the 2023 Six Nations.
The 23-year-old limped off with a knee injury in the opening period of Ospreys’ Heineken Champions Cup win at Leicester Tigers and left Welford Road on crutches.
He had scored the visitors’ opening try, but was later replaced by fellow Wales hooker Scott Baldwin.
“Dewi is a tough boy so if he leaves the pitch it is probably not great,” said Ospreys head coach Toby Booth.
“He is on crutches as you would expect, we are just hoping he is back as soon as possible, especially with his Welsh hat on as well.
“It was a knee injury, it got bent backwards, and we just have to hope it is one of those things that recovers quickly.
“He is abrasive and we play a collision sport and the attributes he has are cherished by any coach and he has made improvements at set-piece.
“He is a young player finding his way, and finding his way very well.”
Wales centre George North was also an early replacement, coming on as Ospreys reshuffled their backs after Cai Evans departed.
Wales back row riches
Ospreys flanker Jac Morgan was named official man of the match against Leicester after his dramatic late match-winning try and starred in a back row including fellow Wales squad member Justin Tipuric.
But Leicester boss Richard Wigglesworth described his own member of Warren Gatland’s Six Nations back row options, Tommy Reffell, as “the best Welsh player on the pitch, by a mile”.
Wigglesworth added: “He was brilliant. He’s been brilliant for us and I don’t expect to have him for a significant period of time.”
Booth believes Gatland has a plethora of Six Nations flanker options.
“Tommy Reffell affects the game, so does Jac Morgan and Justin Tipuric,” added Booth.
“They have different aspects of their game. Tommy was brilliant on the floor, Jac was very good at carrying ball and Justin was very good at a lot of things, like he always is.
“It is no doubt a very pleasurable situation for Warren Gatland.
“Everybody put their hand up and I thought it was a fantastic contest between two back rows that went at each other and those things tend to ebb and flow.
“Sometimes your back row determines the game and there was a lot of parity.”
Booth has guided Ospreys to the Champions Cup knockout stages with three wins in four matches, that includes a double over French champions Montpellier and a first away win over Leicester.
“I know I’m on record talking about being in the entertainment business, but I wish it was a little bit more straightforward,” said Booth.
“It was very stressful, but it was great to get on the right side of it and we’ve won a couple of really close contests and arm-wrestles and we get ourselves in the mix and that’s great.
“I’m really pleased for the guys and everyone involved.”
Wales hooker options
Gatland named Scarlets hooker Ken Owens as Wales’ Six Nations captain for their campaign that begins against Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday, 4 February.
Dragons’ Bradley Roberts is the other hooker in the Wales squad.
Lake was also named in Wales’ autumn squad, but missed the series after he picked up a shoulder injury before the games series that spelled the end of Wayne Pivac’s coaching reign.
If he is unavailable for any period of time, Gatland will look elsewhere for cover.
Howver, Dragons’ Elliot Dee, Sam Parry of Ospreys and Scarlets’ Ryan Elias, who has an Achilles problem., are currently injured, while Baldwin has been overlooked in recent times.
