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Luke Charteris set to face Australia after Wales deal with Perpignan

Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugbycomments51

Wales lock Luke Charteris is set to face Australia once more

Luke Charteris will be available for Wales' clash with Australia on 1 December after a deal was struck to release the Perpignan lock.

That date falls outside the International Rugby Board's official window for Test matches and clubs are not obliged to release their players.

Perpignan confirmed to BBC Wales Sport that Charteris will instead miss the Test with Argentina on 10 November.

The French club have a tricky Top 14 match away to Biarritz that day.

Wales caretaker head coach Rob Howley hoped the agreement would lead to a new level of co-operation.

"We are delighted to have come to an agreement with Perpignan which will allow Luke to be available to be considered for selection for the Wallabies game," said Howley, who travelled to France alongside head coach Warren Gatland last month to begin discussions about the release of Wales' overseas contingent.

"This is a major step forward for us and shows that our trip out to France to talk face to face with the clubs has paid dividends.

"We have reached a compromise which allows Perpignan to have Luke available to them when they need him most and see no reason why we can't build on this relationship in the future."

The French club face league strugglers Agen at home on 1 December and have decided that they would be better served having the 6ft 9in Charteris available against Biarritz.

Charteris will also not be required to enter a training camp with Wales a week before the Pumas clash and will instead be able to play for Perpignan against Castres on 1 November.

However, there is no indication that a similar agreement has been reached over Wales fly-half James Hook, who also plays for Perpignan.

After opening the autumn series against Argentina in Cardiff, Wales then welcome Samoa, New Zealand and the Wallabies to the Millennium Stadium on successive weekends.

Wales still face being understrength against Australia as scrum-half Mike Phillips is at Bayonne, while props Gethin Jenkins at Toulon and Paul James at Bath are also not guaranteed to be released.

British and Irish Lions tight-head prop Adam Jones has already been ruled out for the autumn series, after the Osprey suffered a recurrence of a knee injury.

That leaves Wales with the prospect of being without their three front-line props against a Wallabies side they have not beaten in the past seven attempts.

Wales are also without first-choice blind-side Dan Lydiate for the autumn series after the Newport Gwent Dragons star suffered an ankle fracture.

Wales caretaker coach Howley has named a 35-man Wales squad for the four-Test series.

As part of their preparations for the autumn series, the Wales squad have returned to Spala in Poland for a training camp from Monday, 29 October to 5 November, although they will be without those players contracted to French and English clubs.

Wales squad for autumn Tests:

Backs: L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), Liam Williams (Scarlets); A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), G North (Scarlets), H Robinson (Cardiff Blues); A Beck (Ospreys), J Davies (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Scarlets); D Biggar (Ospreys), J Hook (Perpignan), R Priestland (Scarlets); T Knoyle (Scarlets), M Phillips (Bayonne), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues).

Forwards: S Andrews (Cardiff Blues), R Bevington (Ospreys), P James (Bath), A Jarvis (Ospreys), G Jenkins (Toulon), S Lee (Scarlets); R Hibbard (Ospreys), K Owens (Scarlets), M Rees (Scarlets); B Davies (Cardiff Blues), L Charteris (Perpignan), I Evans (Ospreys), AW Jones (Ospreys); T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), R Jones (Ospreys), R McCusker (Scarlets), A Shingler (Scarlets), J Tipuric (Ospreys), J Turnbull (Scarlets), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt).

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51 comments

  • Comment posted by JohnnyWAL, at 12:12 30 Oct 2012

    @numbnuts halfpenny is world class because he has won wales big international games (kick vs Ireland- Tackle vs Strettle) in recent history, and not only is he a good defender he's only matched in attack at FB in the NH by Foden and he also has a monster boot..... and Wales have 4 second rows better than SA b team Botha and Parling and if you don't thing North is world class your painfully deluded

  • Comment posted by U15136314, at 16:37 29 Oct 2012

    gm

    if you don't like it f cough to sky sports and
    take yer muppet last king with u

  • Comment posted by Cardiff Boy, at 16:02 29 Oct 2012

    What a surprise....instead of comments about the actual story we have to have another round of Wales v Eng bickering. If you've got a problem with 'perceived' bias, please write to the BBC directly instead of hijacking articles.

    For me, a combo from Charteris, AWJ and Evans is preferred. Bradley seems off the boil at the moment, probably a symptom of a poor Blues team.

  • Comment posted by wallpaperman, at 11:53 30 Oct 2012

    Great for Wales to have such strength in depth at second row. AWJ, Evans, Charteris and Bradley Davies are all excellent. Davies and Evans is my preferred combination.

    For years (going back to Robert Norster) they hardly had a second row worth considering for the Lions squad - in my view only Brent Cockbain, Craig Quinnell and Chris Wyatt made the grade, and too briefly in each case.

  • Comment posted by U15435098, at 09:01 30 Oct 2012

    Why are so many people picking Hook at 10, is it a case of out of sight, out of mind? He is still inept at 10 with all the problems he has always had, his decision making is still woeful, he cannot run a game plan. the thing at Perpignan is that he has controlling scrum halves inside him that take away his need to think, he won't have that luxury with Wales. Biggar is the form 10

  • Comment posted by U15301732, at 22:53 29 Oct 2012

    15: Halfpenny
    14: North
    13: J. Davies
    12: Roberts
    11: Cuthbert
    10: Hook
    9: Phillips
    8: R. Jones
    6: Tipuric
    7: Warburton
    5: I. Evans
    4: A.W Jones
    3: James
    2: Owens
    1: Jenkins

  • Comment posted by JackGough, at 22:44 29 Oct 2012

    Clive your team is terrible and horribly biased towards the scarlets. Rees ahead of Hibbard? Williams ahead of Halfpenny? No Jamie Roberts and North playing out of position? Shingler? You must be joking.

  • Comment posted by Theone, at 20:38 29 Oct 2012

    @16

    Its because they are the only games worth commentating/talking about.......

  • Comment posted by TapperJones, at 16:06 29 Oct 2012

    With Lydiate out injured and Faletau out of form we need some dynamic ball carriers in the forwards. Ryan Jones can offer a little but I think I'd rather see Bradley Davies/Ian Evans start rather than Charteris (with AWJ starting alongside).

    I don't have time to follow the Top 14 but I hear James Hook is playing well so for me it's more important if Gats&co can get him released. Fingers crossed.

  • Comment posted by ironcamel, at 15:19 29 Oct 2012

    The Welsh Threads are open for comments because of Scrum V. No such program exists from English rugby due to the BBC not having the same rights for it as the do for Welsh.

    As for the article, I thought he had only moved because he had a clause that let him make every Wales match. Apparently that's fallen at the first hurdle.

  • Comment posted by JohnnyWAL, at 14:34 29 Oct 2012

    @GM Massingbird and England's performance against an SA side a shadow of the one that stuffed England twice in the 2007 world cup and the lions was far more impressive...

    With Charteris available gives wales 4 world class 2nd rows, another position with real strength.

  • Comment posted by BetterByBoat, at 11:40 31 Oct 2012

    " halfpenny would start in a world XV" It is comments like this that give us Welsh a bad name. 1/2p or Israel Dagg? I'd even have Kurtley Beale in front of 1/2p and Beale has been moved away from Fullback by the Wallabies. The reason we need 1/2p is because he is our kicker as the incumbent 10 can't be relied on.
    We are ranked 6th in the world - not exactly something we can really brag about.

  • Comment posted by Come on Wales, at 19:36 30 Oct 2012

    @48 ..... Actually ... :)))))) I did really mean 1 win against AUS or ABs .... Ie 3 wins from 4 outings :))))))
    Samoa I expect Wales to beat (though tough)
    Good record against ARG (though they are improving again and not to be taken lightly either)
    AUS tight but Wales pip it, and ABs tight but ABs pip it.

  • Comment posted by U15187770, at 19:25 30 Oct 2012

    @ Jackgough
    Yes I would bring North inside and give Robinson a run at 14. Roberts has no had enough game time and Halfpenny has been playing behind a bad blues side. Hibbard for Rees, yes I can see that. Have you seen Shingler play 10 for London Irish? He's better than Priestland this season no wonder Scotland wanted him. If Wales don't do something with him it makes a mockery of the irb ruling

  • Comment posted by Numbnuts, at 18:50 30 Oct 2012

    @47Taff I think 1 win would be a big disappointment for Wales tbh. I imagine beating Sam and Arg is the bare minimum. I can see a win against Aus on the cards but not the AB'S. As you say let the games begin. Adam Jones a big loss though.

  • Comment posted by Come on Wales, at 18:17 30 Oct 2012

    Yes our SH record IS horrendous, but the past is the past and the future has promise ... 1 win will become 2 and they will build from there.
    And I am confident we will get at least 1 win in AI's.
    let the games begin

  • Comment posted by Numbnuts, at 18:11 30 Oct 2012

    @44taff I agree entirely. Contrary to what I may convey I have admired welsh rugby for a very long time and would love to see them get some SH wins. But guys get real - your record against SH is horrendous. Even scotland can beat Sh sometimes!!! You can start bragging when you beat SH home AND away a few times and do better than 4th in RWC!

  • Comment posted by JohnnyWAL, at 18:02 30 Oct 2012

    the welsh haven't had a period of domination in recent history like the English that's why their record against SH teams is poorer, but i don't see why either countries past records are relevant to the current squads playing? if we want to talk about teams of the past then why not bring up wales record in the 70's? were on about Wales team now and England's team 'NOW'

  • Comment posted by Come on Wales, at 18:01 30 Oct 2012

    As a Welshman, I would say Wales have a good chance of a SH scalp, but then so do England ....
    Last 6N game at Twicks was a good example of a young (though not so inexperienced) Welsh team against a young and building England team... I Said it straight after the win and will say it again .... The next few years will see some great Wales vs England fixtures.
    SH wins will come (for both)

  • Comment posted by U15301732, at 17:54 30 Oct 2012

    Yeah you have a decent record, with your population almost 20 times bigger than ours, and 31 times the amount of registered rugby players. And still we have 3 Grand slams since 05, whilst england have 0. Head to head we are even aswell.. says alot! You had 1 good generation
    our current crop are good enough to change our record vs SH teams. We are still young and will only get better. get over it.

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