Wales hooker Lake suffers Six Nations injury scare

Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake has played 12 internationals for Wales

Wales hooker Dewi Lake has given Warren Gatland a Six Nations injury scare after hobbling out of Ospreys' Challenge Cup win against Perpignan.

His fellow World Cup co-captain Jac Morgan is already set to miss the Six Nations because of a knee problem.

Lake, 24, was playing out of position at flanker because of an Ospreys back-row injury crisis.

Head coach Gatland, who was watching in the Swansea stands, names his Six Nations squad on Tuesday with Wales opening their campaign on 3 February against Scotland in Cardiff.

"He felt a pop in his hamstring and we erred on the side of caution," said Ospreys head coach Toby Booth.

"Hopefully it will be a low grade so a couple of weeks but it will depend on what it is [but] there is definitely something there and you never know until you see.

"He walked off the pitch and was considering whether he would continue, so we made that decision.

"You are aware of your body and if something does not feel quite right or makes a sound, you need to make a decision about whether they can continue or whether they are at risk.

"Sometimes you have to protect the player from themselves."

Gatland is looking for a new skipper for the Six Nations following the expected loss of Morgan.

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Lake captained Wales against Georgia and Portugal at the World Cup while Ospreys teammate Adam Beard and Exeter second row Dafydd Jenkins also contenders.

Lake had been forced into back-row emergency action for Ospreys because Morgan, Justin Tipuric, Harri Deaves, Morgan Morris, Rhys Davies and Tristan Davies are all injured.

Ospreys centre George North was also a late withdrawal against Perpignan but that was because of illness, while second row James Fender was forced off with what looked like a shoulder problem.