Wales star who dislocated knee 10 times now tipped to tear up Six Nations after surgery
Wales star Dafydd Jenkins has revealed he dislocated his knee 10 times before undergoing surgery last year.
The 22-year-old has not played for Warren Gatland's side since last summer's tour of Australia after going under the knife to correct knee and shoulder injuries. He spent five months on the sidelines, missing the Autumn Nations Series as well as Exeter Chiefs' opening 11 games of the seasons, but has already made a big impact on his return with his club coach naming him as a future British & Irish Lion.
Last year's Six Nations was a bittersweet one for Jenkins, who was handed the captaincy for the campaign after injuries to Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, and in doing so became the second youngest Wales skipper in history behind Sir Gareth Edwards. However, while he performed admirably in the role, he couldn't inspire Gatland's men to victory as they ended up with the wooden spoon after their first championship whitewash since 2003.
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While Wales' woes have continued with a winless 2024 and a record losing run of 12 Tests, however, Jenkins is relishing the battle ahead in this year's Six Nations, with his side understandably going into the tournament as the underdogs. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
The Exeter Chiefs skipper knows exactly what he and his team-mates must achieve in the coming weeks and, in an interview with the Guardian, made clear just how committed he is to the cause.
“Last season my kneecap kept dislocating … it probably happened 10 times," Jenkins said as he reflected on his injuries and subsequent surgery. "You’ve just got to slap it back in and get on with it.
"My shoulder’s still giving me a bit of gyp," he admitted. "It’s hard when you’re trying to whack people week in, week out.”
With Gatland given the Six Nations to save his job after a dismal 2024, there is pressure on everyone involved with Wales to turn things around and get wins on the board again. With France in Paris up first in the tournament curtain-raiser, Jenkins and his team-mates have been dealt a tough hand, but the proud Welshman is desperate not to let fans down and instead wants to restore public faith in the national side.
“Out on the pitch with a full crowd in is when I feel the happiest,” he said. “[Playing for Wales] is everything I ever wanted as a young boy. I wasn’t really any good at much else so I set myself the goal of being involved in the team. Especially a winning Welsh team. I haven’t achieved that yet and it’s still something I’m working towards day in, day out.
"Every time you step on the pitch you don’t want to let [supporters] down, particularly on a Friday or Saturday night when the beers are flowing. Playing for Wales probably came a lot sooner than I anticipated but when you get that opportunity you do anything not to let it slip.
"It's about getting a bit of pride back in the badge in terms of performances," Jenkins added. When we’re playing these big teams like France and Ireland in the Six Nations it’s important not to give them too much respect. There’s pressure but if you can’t handle that you shouldn’t be there."
After returning to action last month, Jenkins was lauded by Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter, who praised the lock's "absolutely fantastic" attitude and said he was keen to build the team around him. Baxter went on to say he expects his captain to "have a very good Six Nations" and claimed he will be part of a Lions squad either this year or later in his career.
However, Jenkins played down those claims as he said: "[The Six Nations] is a chance to compete against the best sides and to see where you are as a player.
“I’ve got to play way better even to be in the [Lions] conversation," he added. "I know I’ve got a long way to go to be competing with Tadhg Beirne and Joe McCarthy."
