Keiron Assiratti: Wales prop ruled out of summer matches

Prop Keiron Assiratti has been ruled out of Wales’ summer matches because of a calf injury.

The Cardiff tight-head suffered the injury during the United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final play-off defeat against Stormers at the end of May.

It is a blow for head coach Steve Tandy who was already without Tomas Francis, who is being rested this summer, while Bath’s Archie Griffin is missing after undergoing surgery.

Wales have not yet called up anybody officially to replace Assiratti, with capped Ben Warren one of three other tight-head props alongside Dillon Lewis and Sam Wainwright.

Assiratti, 28, is the second player to pull out of the squad after Bath back Louie Hennessey was ruled out because of a shoulder injury.

Wales face four matches with the uncapped double-header against Barbarians on 27 June at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, followed by three games in the new Nations Championship against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in July.

Tandy had initially named a 48-man squad, which has now been reduced to 46, with the party further cut after the Barbarians game.…Read more by BBC Sport