Wales great Faletau to miss rest of Cardiff's season

Wales great Taulupe Faletau will miss the rest of the season after suffering a "significant" shoulder injury in Cardiff's defeat by Sharks.

The number eight, who is out of contract in the summer, suffered the injury early in the second half of the United Rugby Championship (URC) defeat in Durban last week.

The 35-year-old left the field with his right arm in a sling after landing awkwardly following a pass at the end of a strong carry.

"We are just waiting for the consultant to clarify his next steps, but obviously it seems like a significant injury," said Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl.

"With the scan and that type of injury I can't see him playing again this season."

Faletau has made just seven appearances in 2025-26 because of knee and calf issues before the shoulder blow.

Nonetheless, Van Zyl hopes to agree a deal to keep the Wales and British and Irish Lions forward in Cardiff and says that management of workload is vital.

"It is key and was part of the plan we had, but now unfortunately something different happened which has put us back a step," he said.

Cardiff are stretched in the second row for Saturday's trip to Benetton in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup after losing locks Josh McNally (leg) and George Nott (abdominal muscles) in South Africa.

The Blue and Blacks are hopeful that the second-row pair will feature in the URC run-in, while Wales international Teddy Williams is closing in on a return from a foot injury suffered in October.

Faletau is in the final year of his contract with Cardiff, who he joined from Bath in 2022.

He has made just 30 appearances for the Blue and Blacks over four campaigns, winning 18 caps over that period to move to 109 appearances with Wales.

Faletau was named in Steve Tandy's first squad only to suffer a knee injury in Cardiff's final game before the autumn series.

The legendary forward played at the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 World Cups and could be a contender for a fifth tournament in Australia next year.

Leicester-bound Dragons number eight Aaron Wainwright impressed in the Six Nations, but former Wales wing Alex Cuthbert believes his former team-mate Faletau can still provide value on the Test stage.

"If fit, Taulupe Faletau is only beneficial to that Wales team," the 2013 Lion told the Scrum V podcast.

"If you can manage him and get him near his standard then he will help those boys."

Faletau made his Dragons debut at Edinburgh as an 18-year-old and went on to play 110 times for them.

The back-row forward hit double figures for appearances in every full season at Rodney Parade before moving to England.

"Unfortunately since his time at Bath he has had significant injury after significant injury, because in the first 10 years of his career he barely missed a training session," said Richie Rees, who played alongside Faletau for Dragons and coached him at Cardiff, on Scrum V.

"I hope that it's not too significant. Will we see him again over the next couple of months? I'm not too sure, but here's hoping he has got another couple of years left in him."