Taulupe Faletau has revealed he fears for his place in the Wales team after the emergence of Ross Moriarty.
The Lions and Bath No.8 missed the opening match of the Six Nations against Italy through injury, which opened the door to Moriarty.
The Gloucester forward’s subsequent display in the defeat to England was enough for coach Rob Howley to be questioned afterwards over why the 21-year-old back rower was replaced by Faletau when Wales were still leading.
Now, Faletau – who has been as close to an automatic selection as any Wales player over the past four years – admits he may miss out again when Howley names his team to face Scotland on Saturday.
With Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric holding the other back row spots at present, Faletau admitted: “Ross is playing really well at the moment, and so are the other two.
“We work for each other, and whoever plays is worthy of playing. And to be honest, those three right now are playing really well.
“The boys are playing well at the moment, and it is down to the coaches to pick what team they pick.
“Although the result didn’t go our way [against England], the performance was there, and everyone is looking forward to the next game.
“After losing last week, it [the title) is kind of out of our hands. We have just got to take each game as it comes. If we win our games, we are always in with a chance if somebody else slips up.”
Faletau, who spent seven years with Newport Gwent Dragons before transferring to Bath in the summer, made his Wales debut in 2011 at the age of just 21 and has gone on to appear in 63 Tests.
The big No 8 initially injured his knee on his Bath debut in September before suffering another blow on Christmas Eve, and his appearance in Bath’s victory over Harlequins on Saturday was Faletau’s first 80-minute shift of the entire season.
“I am just glad to be out there playing rugby again. It hasn’t been the season for it for me. I was just glad to get 80 minutes,” added Faletau.
“It has been frustrating, but injuries are part of the game, and I have got to deal with it some time. They come around for everyone, and it has just seemed to be my time.
“I am glad I joined Bath. I have moved there with my family and we are really enjoying it. It is a rugby town but, unlike Wales, people leave you alone.”
Wales name their side to face Scotland on Thursday and the back row will occupy most of the coaches’ time.
“You have to look at the threats of the opposition and the game we want to employ,” said the forwards coach, Robin McBryde. “We are blessed with the players we have and it is a very keenly contested area. It is a nice headache to have.”
