Rugby: Wales hit with player crisis ahead of All Blacks test

The highly-anticipated clash between Six Nations champions Wales and Rugby Championship winners the All Blacks later this month could be a dud with coach Wayne Pivac hit with a long list of unavailable players for the test.

Wales Online reports that a conservative count of 21 players won't play in the October 31 test due to injuries or English-based players not being available for selection.

The test is being played outside of the international window which means any Welsh players who play in the English Premiership don't have to be released.

That takes away 10 potential players including British and Irish Lions trio Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau and Louis Rees-Zammit, while injuries look to have ruled out fellow Lions Justin Tipuric, George North, Dan Lydiate, Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams.

Just from those eight players that amounts to 607 tests of experience that Wales will be without.

Lions forward Josh Navidi, meanwhile, suffered a shoulder injury playing for Cardiff over the weekend and could be in doubt while Rhys Patchell, Ashton Hewitt, Michael Collins, James Botham, Josh Macleod and James Davies won't be fit by the end of the month.

Lions front rowers Wyn Jones and Ken Owens, along with locks Alun Wyn Jones and Adam Beard, should be available but Wales will be exposed at first five-eighths, openside and at the back.

Wales were due in Auckland and Wellington last July but the games were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The side's last clashed in the playoff got third at the 2019 Rugby World Cup while the All Blacks haven't played in Cardiff since 2017 - a 33-18 victory.

Wales are coming off winning the Six Nations title for the sixth time, including the triple crown with victories over England, Scotland and Ireland.

Wales open their autumn fixtures against the All Blacks on October 31 before taking on South Africa, Fiji and Australia in consecutive weeks.

The All Blacks will take on the USA on their first leg of a northern tour on October 24, followed by Wales, Italy, Ireland and France in consecutive weekends.