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Sam Wainwright hatched plans with his father to get back into the Wales squad and now, just over two years since the death of his biggest fan, the prop is eyeing a return to Test rugby.

The 27-year-old tight-head was called into Steve Tandy’s squad for the Six Nations on Tuesday because of an injury to Cardiff team-mate Keiron Assiratti.

Wainwright will get the chance to appear in Test rugby for the first time since 2022, and for the first time since his father, Shaun, died in November 2023.

“Dad passed away two years ago and we talked to each other and said that we’d get back to this position,” said the prop.

“It was a big thing in the back of my mind, I’ve always been hungry to get back in.

Wainwright’s family were in the stands when he won his first cap in Wales’ historic 13-12 win against South Africa in Bloemfontein – the only time the men’s national team has won a game against the Springboks on their soil.

The prop from Prestatyn, then with Saracens after earning a move from Rygbi Gogledd Cymru (RGC), helped win a scrum penalty that set up field position for Josh Adams’ late try that was converted by Gareth Anscombe.

Wainwright was able to celebrate with his father, who was instrumental on his rise to Test level.

“He was a huge influence,” said the prop. “We were best friends and he did everything with me.

“He was one of the biggest support networks for me and when I got the call-up I thought about him a lot, it was quite emotional.

“We’d speak about everything and he’d watch every game. When I was at the Scarlets he would tell me what to pick up on after every game.

“He was unbelievable for me and that’s why getting this call up was a bit emotional for me. He would have been proud of me – 1,000%.”

A former rugby league player and a construction worker, Shaun ensured that Sam was able to give RGC his full attention.

“I told him I wanted to follow his route and have the rugby alongside it, but he would never let me do it,” said Wainwright, whose exploits earned a chance with Saracens in 2019.

Wainwright is behind Tomas Francis and Archie Griffin in the pecking order in the build up to Wales’ Six Nations opener against England in London on Saturday, 7 February.

The aim will be to win his fifth cap at some stage to add to the four he won as a replacement in 2022, with two outings in South Africa followed by autumn appearances against Argentina and Georgia.

Wainwright switched from Scarlets to Cardiff last summer and has made seven appearances for the United Rugby Championship play-off hopefuls.

He is confident that time in the middle will help him to thrive if called upon by Tandy.

“I’ve played a lot more rugby than when I was last in,” said Wainwright. “I’d only played 20-something games for Saracens at the time and was then put into that environment.

“When I was here last time it was a big learning curve for me and I’ve played a lot of rugby in between with Scarlets and Cardiff.

“I had those caps early in my career, but I understood I still had a lot to work on. I was quite critical of myself and I went away and worked hard.

Having missed last year’s Six Nations because of his British and Irish Lions commitments, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has been quickly reminded of the headaches that are part and parcel of preparing a squad before the championship.

Farrell is, of course, no stranger to squad-related stresses. In 2023, Jamison Gibson-Park and Cian Healy both withdrew injured from the matchday squad just hours before Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff.

Ireland won that game 34-10 and went on to secure the Grand Slam, but the build-up to next week’s curtain-raiser against holders France in Paris has felt particularly trying.

A few issues at least emerged well in advance. In early December, Connacht said it would be “months for sure” before Mack Hansen, a strong option at wing or full-back, returns from a foot injury.

But the problems have continued to mount for Farrell since he named a 37-man squad on 21 January.

With Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy already sidelined, Farrell’s hand at loose-head prop was further weakened when Jack Boyle withdrew from the squad after sustaining a bad leg injury in Leinster’s win over Connacht last weekend.

Given Ireland’s chastening evening against South Africa’s scrum in November, their absence may be keenly felt.

Munster flanker Tom Ahern also withdrew, with the uncapped Billy Bohan and Cormac Izuchukwu drafted in, but further problems have emerged after Ireland touched down in Portugal for their usual pre-tournament training camp.

Having already admitted that his injury list is “larger than normal”, Farrell has lost full-back Hugo Keenan to a fractured thumb.

Keenan’s training-ground injury is a cruel blow for the 29-year-old after having only returned from the hip problem that has kept him out since his star turn for the Lions last summer.

With the fly-half debate ongoing, 15 is now a problem position for Farrell. Jamie Osborne started there against New Zealand and Japan in November, and while he is in the squad, he has not played since the win over the Brave Blossoms.

Keenan’s injury was confirmed shortly after the announcement from Ireland that Bundee Aki had not travelled to Portugal because of disciplinary reasons, with Ulster’s uncapped Jude Postlethwaite replacing him in the squad.

The 35-year-old Connacht centre faces an independent disciplinary committee on Wednesday after being cited for comments made to match officials during his side’s loss to Leinster on Saturday.

Last year, Aki’s Connacht team-mate Hansen was handed a three-match ban for comments he made about now-retired referee Chris Busby.

With uncertainty surrounding Aki’s involvement, Stuart McCloskey appears in pole position to start at inside centre in Paris next week after impressing there during an injury-hit autumn campaign.

Reigning champion Tigst Assefa is targeting a repeat of her record-breaking London Marathon victory when she resumes her fascinating rivalry with Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and world champion Peres Jepchirchir in this year’s race.

Four of the six fastest women in history will go head-to-head at the London Marathon on Sunday, 26 April, with Joyciline Jepkosgei also set to compete.

Assefa set a women-only world record by triumphing in a time of two hours 15 minutes 50 seconds in 2025.

But the Ethiopian was denied golds at the past two major global athletics championships in dramatic sprint finishes against rivals Hassan and Jepchirchir, themselves both past winners in London.

“Winning last year’s London Marathon and setting a women-only world record was one of the proudest moments of my career, and I want to repeat that again this year,” said Assefa.

The women-only world record applies to races that take place without male pacemakers or competitors.

Assefa previously held the outright women’s world record after running 2:11:53 in Berlin in 2023.

She remains the second-fastest female marathon runner in history, behind Ruth Chepngetich, who was banned from the sport for three years after the Kenyan admitted to anti-doping rule violations following a positive test in March last year.

Chepngetich’s achievements that pre-date that sample, including her world record time of 2:09:56 in Chicago in 2024, still stand.

While no female athlete in history had run below Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing record of 2:15:25 until 2019, eight have surpassed that mark in the past seven years – including Assefa, Dutch star Hassan (2:13:44) and Kenyans Jepkosgei (2:14:00) and Jepchirchir (2:14:43).

Also confirmed for this year’s London Marathon is Uruguay’s Julia Paternain, who was raised in the UK and made headlines for her stunned reaction to completing the world podium with an unexpected bronze last year.

The unveiling of the elite women’s line-up at the London Marathon follows the announcement of the elite British entries, which include Emile Cairess and Eilish McColgan.