Wales captain Dewi Lake demonstrated his leadership qualities after being forced off with injury during his side's 35-21 Nations Championship defeat to Argentina in San Juan on Saturday. The hooker opened the scoring for Steve Tandy's side after just three minutes, powering over the line, but limped off in the second half with a leg injury.
Lake thanks referee before leaving pitch
As physios helped him to his feet, Lake immediately turned his attention to referee Paul Williams to thank him for his officiating. In a moment captured by television microphones, the Wales captain stretched out his hand and said: "I'll go off to the side. Sir, thank you. Number seven (Jac Morgan) will be skipper, just to let you know, alright? Thank you."
While clearly in pain, Lake also rallied his Wales teammates to dig deep for the remaining 20 minutes, with travelling supporters showing their appreciation for his efforts.
Coach praises Lake's referee relationship
The moment comes after head coach Steve Tandy cited Lake's relationship with referees as a key reason for choosing him as captain ahead of Jac Morgan for the inaugural Nations Championship campaign. "I don't think it was difficult," Tandy said last month. "I took my time to think about it but when I looked at it with Jac coming back in I think Dewi has done an outstanding job in Jac's absence. I think the way Dewi has developed the links with the referees and the way he's developed I thought it was right for the summer period that Dewi continued to do that."
Injury blow ahead of Springboks clash
Lake's injury is a major blow for Wales, who face the Springboks in Durban next Saturday. Tandy confirmed that Blair Murray is also a potential fitness concern. "The boys are having treatment," he said at full-time. "So we'll have probably more of an idea in the next 24 hours."
