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Warren Gatland says Wales\u2019 focus is on \u201ccompetition rugby\u201d as they continue counting down to their World Cup opener against Georgia.<\/p>\nWarren Gatland says Wales\u2019 focus is on \u201ccompetition rugby\u201d as they continue counting down to their World Cup opener against Georgia.<\/p>\n
Gatland\u2019s team are set to go into that September 23 encounter without locks Adam Beard and Cory Hill.<\/p>\n
Beard is recovering from having his appendix removed and hopes to join the squad in Japan next week, while Hill is continuing rehabilitation following a stress fracture in his leg.<\/p>\n
A pivotal Pool D clash against Australia six days after the Georgia game is the likely target for both players.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve picked up a couple of injuries and there is a concern at the moment with the second rows,\u201d Wales head coach Warren Gatland told reporters at the squad\u2019s base in Kitakyushu.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe (Beard) is hoping to come out on Thursday and probably not going to be available for selection for the Georgia game.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we are hopeful \u2013 and the medics are confident \u2013 that he will be available for selection for the Australia game.\u201d<\/p>\n
It suggests that Jake Ball will be skipper Alun Wyn Jones\u2019 second-row partner for the Georgia game, with flanker Aaron Shingler providing lock bench cover.<\/p>\n
On Hill, Gatland added: \u201c(The medics) are confident that he will be available for selection against Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been out of his boot and on the training field today, even though he wasn\u2019t doing any running.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, after that Georgia game he will be back training and available for selection.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Wales squad are enjoying temperatures of around 30 degrees and unbroken sunshine in the southern Japanese city, where they will be based until Thursday.<\/p>\n
They have also received a warm welcome, with hundreds of schoolchildren greeting their arrival at the airport, while banners and flags of support are draped all over the city.<\/p>\n
Wales lost three of their four World Cup warm-up games during the past month, but those results will have little relevance when it comes to tournament business in Japan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t shown much in our play so far \u2013 we\u2019ve played differently as well \u2013 but now the focus is really on competition rugby,\u201d Gatland said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel that it\u2019s important to get off to a good start, and if we do that, hopefully we can qualify for the quarter-finals out of this group.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be tough for us, but if we do that it\u2019s then one game at a time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a lot of confidence and self-belief in this side that if we play to our potential we can go a long way in this tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fly-half Rhys Patchell, meanwhile, has done some non-contact work after suffering concussion during Wales\u2019 final World Cup warm-up game against Ireland eight days ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has gone through the HIA (head injury assessment) protocols,\u201d Gatland added.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was training this morning, just doing some non-contact stuff at this stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will ease him back into contact work later in the week, making sure that we go through the protocols and ensure he\u2019s 100% and available for selection.\u201d<\/p>\n