EXCLUSIVE – Liam Williams set to miss Wales’ tour to Japan

Former Kubota Spears full-back Liam Williams will miss Wales’ two-match tour to Japan this summer, RugbyJP.com can reveal.

Williams, 34, made seven appearances for Funabashi-based Kubota in the 2023-2024 season before cutting short his stay in Japan to return to Saracens in November.  

The former Scarlets and Cardiff star has not played since sustaining a knee injury in his country’s Six Nations loss to France in the opening round on 31 January and had surgery in February.

A Saracens official told RugbyJP.com: “Liam is out for the rest of the season.”

RugbyJP understands that he is three months away from returning to training. 

Williams has made five appearances for Saracens in his second stint with the club.  

The Waunarlwydd RFC product has 93 caps for Wales and was the most experienced back in their Six Nations squad as they lost all five games for the first time in their history and were condemned to the wooden spoon for the second consecutive year.

Williams has hopes of becoming the 10th member of the 100 Wales cap club and joining Welsh luminaries Alun Wyn Jones, Gethin Jenkins, George North, Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau, Stephen Jones, Martyn Williams, Leigh Halfpenny and Gareth Thomas.

The veteran’s absence should mean a recall for Cardiff full-back Cameron Winnett who was a surprise omission from Gatland’s Six Nations squad with Tom Rogers, Gareth Anscombe and Ellis Mee among Wales’ full-back options for the two clashes against Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms on 5 and 12 July in Kitakyushu and Kobe.

Scarlets’ starlet Blair Murray currently holds Wales’ 15 jersey and, after a blistering first Six Nations campaign, could be a bolter for Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions. Farrell’s squad to tour Australia will be announced next week on 8 May.

Woeful Wales’ losing streak stands at a record 17 games and the Welsh Rugby Union are yet to name a permanent successor to Warren Gatland whose ill-fated return ended when he left his post by mutual consent three days after the defeat to Italy in February.  

Scotland’s defence coach and ex-Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy remains the favourite for the vacant position.

Welshman Tandy, who played for his local sides Neath and the Ospreys, led Bridgend to the WRU Division 1 West title in 2011 while still playing for Swansea-based region. He steered the Ospreys to the RaboDirect Pro12 title in 2012 before a stint with the Sydney-based Waratahs and joined Gregor Townsend's coaching ticket in 2019.

Tandy, who worked as a defence coach with Gatland's British and Irish Lions in South Africa in 2021, is contracted to Scotland until 2026 and, if appointed, may not be available to lead Wales for their two-match series in Japan.

The former flanker, who made over 100 appearances for the Ospreys, would also become the first Welshman in the role on a permanent basis since Gareth Jenkins left the post in 2007.  

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt was handed the reigns following Gatland’s departure in a caretaker capacity and is understood to be in the frame to deputise again this summer as Wales aim to secure their first Test victory since defeating Georgia in the World Cup in October 2023. 

Pictures courtesy of Kubota Spears and JRLO