Hallam Amos is not your typical rugby player.
He has a neuroscience degree and is a trainee doctor. But right now, Welsh fans may feel it is he who needs to make an appointment with a physician.
Amos could have been celebrating becoming the latest member of the Rugby World Cup’s hat-trick club in Wales’ 35-13 win against Uruguay.
He crossed the whitewash three times, but came up empty-handed on each occasion after a litany of errors, indicative overall of Wales’ unconvincing win over the South American minnows.
Dragons wing Amos crossed initially midway through the first half; a free-flowing skilful backs move saw Hadleigh Parkes tee him up to go over out wide. That was before the TMO called the move back for a forward pass from the sturdy centre.
That was the South Africa-born Parkes’ error but the two that followed were all Amos. He was too far ahead of play early in the second half when Parkes again handed off to him with the line looming.
A little later on he made a surge for the line but dropped the ball in the act of diving to touch it down.
His 80 minutes served as a microcosm of his trials and tribulations in a Wales shirt, a career that began way back in 2013, when he was still just a teenager. It is one that has ironically been spent largely in doctor’s offices and physio’s rooms.
After making his debut against Tonga in 2013, Amos had to wait almost two years for his next cap.
He was part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad after a raft of injuries, but then hobbled out of the tournament when he dislocated his shoulder innocuously against England.
Highlights: @welshrugbyunion v @rugbyuruguay at Rugby World Cup 2019#RWC2019 #WALvURU pic.twitter.com/oPPSiI4H5n
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 13, 2019
He played in every Test against the All Blacks the following summer, but dislocated his shoulder again attempting to score a try against Australia in the autumn.
An ankle injury playing for his club team the Dragons over Christmas 2017 ruled him out of the 2018 Six Nations. He rebounded to impress on the 2018 summer tour to Argentina from full-back, only to then dislocate his elbow on Dragons duty at the start of last season.
Six years on from that Tonga debut, the 25-year-old still only has 21 caps.
Amos was far from the only player in red to endure an off-colour day. It was a pretty grizzly performance in general from Wales.
There were knock-ons and spillages galore – 19 from Wales to 11 from Uruguay – which contributed to a dislocated Dragons performance and allowed tenacious Los Teros to terrorise them.
Yes, they were victorious. Yes, they got a bonus point. Yes, they finished top of the pool and won all their group games – the only other time this feat was achieved came at the inaugural tournament.
Consequently, 1987 also delivered the Dragons’ best-ever finish of third place.
But there was little to like about Wales’ performance against dogged, heroic Uruguay – a team largely comprised of amateur and semi-professional players.
Of course we have to give Esteban Meneses and his side huge credit. And this was not anywhere close to the XV Warren Gatland will put out to face the French in the quarter-final in Oita next Sunday.
They’re hardly a sick patient in desperate need of surgery. Walking wounded Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies will likely be back upright and fit to face France.
So will captain Alun Wyn Jones, Gareth Davies, Liam Williams, George North, Josh Navidi et el.
But despite topping the pool, Welsh fans might be looking and feeling a little paler after such a meek performance. Patience and plenty of rest should be prescribed over the next week.
Les Bleus are lurking and the men in red will have to be much better. Wales, France will see you now.
