Priestland's season is over

The Wales and Scarlets outside half has undergone surgery after suffering a ruptured left achilles tendon in the region's Heineken Cup game against Exeter Chiefs last Saturday. It is anticipated that he will be out of action for six months.

"It's a big blow for Rhys and for our region to lose a player of his quality and influence in our team," said Scarlets Head Coach Simon Easterby, who suffered a similar injury as a player.

"He was coming through well in the last couple of games of the autumn, put in a strong performance against Australia and was making a real impact in our game against Exeter - so it's very difficult for him to take; but he'll get plenty of support from here throughout the injury period.

"I am sure that a player of his experience, intelligence and ability will deal with this very well and after a couple of weeks away to recover from the surgery will be back and remain a very positive influence in our environment."

Scarlets Head of Medical Andy Walker said: "Rhys' surgery was performed by a new keyhole surgery technique which is non-invasive and will aid his recovery and allow him to get into rehab with our medical team at a quicker stage.

"The anticipated time off the field is around six months but it all depends on the individual and how his rehab goes in the interim.

"He'll be non-weight bearing for two weeks now, in plaster and then into a boot and then we'll start rehab at a later stage. This is a serious injury and the most important thing is that the medics do everything possible to ensure a strong recovery and not to rush the process at any stage.

"We'll be working closely with him to ensure we keep him the best medical support possible including all the right nutrition to aid recovery so that he's hydrating and eating well."