The Wales injury bulletin: When the world-class cavalry are due back as Six Nations enters home straight

Taulupe Faletau’s extraordinary return to the Wales team against England added up to some rare good news for Wayne Pivac on the injury front.

There’s a possibility more might follow in the coming days and weeks.

Pivac will not be taking anything for granted and in the long-term he may be pleased that the number of players off limits to Wales in recent months has given him the opportunity to develop others at Test level. The likes of Will Rowlands, Taine Basham, Jac Morgan and Gareth Thomas have all enjoyed high-level exposure which should only stand them in good stead in the long run.

But where does Pivac stand in the coming weeks.?

MARK ORDERS checks out what’s happening with some of the big-name players who have been on the sidelines.

The back-rower has been sidelined since dislocating a shoulder in the United Rugby Championship match against the Bulls in October.

It had been expected he would miss the entire Six Nations campaign, but he’s recovered well from the bump and has resumed training with Cardiff.

He could be in contention to feature for Cardiff against Ulster in Belfast on Friday evening.

If he does figure and come through the match unscathed, Pivac could draft him into Wales’ squad for the final two rounds of Six Nations games.

A knee injury picked up on regional duty for the Ospreys has sidelined North for the past 10 months.

But he has returned to training with the Ospreys and is pencilled into play against Zebre in the United Rugby Championship on Sunday.

In an interview with WalesOnline last week, North said he felt he was “in great shape to be playing rugby ”.

The question is after so long out do Wales fast-track him back into the national squad mix.

Such a course didn’t seem to do Gareth Anscombe