Wales scrum-half Kieran Hardy is battling the clock to be fit for next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Kieran Hardy has a fitness battle on his hands. The Wales scrum-half is racing to be ready for next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia, and the clock is already ticking.
For a player whose game is built on sharp service, quick decisions and tempo from the base of the ruck, getting back to full sharpness matters as much as getting back on the pitch. Hardy has to be fit, and he also has to be match-ready when selection time comes.
Scrum-half is a position where national coaches want competition, and Wales will be watching closely to see who is in form and available as the tournament approaches. Any setback this far out makes the road to selection tougher, but a World Cup is still some way off, and that leaves Hardy room to recover and press his claim.
The next few months will show how his recovery is going. If he can get back to his best in time, Hardy gives Wales a livewire option at nine for the sport's biggest stage. If not, the race for that shirt will be wide open.
