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The news that Gareth Thomas will miss a huge chunk of this year's Six Nations will come as a huge blow to the player, and Wales coach Gareth Jenkins.

Thomas, who appeared yesterday in front of an ERC disciplinary panel in Dublin, was found guilty of "aggressively attempting to enter one of the seating areas of the stadium" and of "making an offensive hand gesture towards spectators".
The four week ban he has received means that he will miss Wales' opening three games against Ireland, Scotland and France.
The decision by the ERC disciplinary panel has been seen by some as 'harsh' yet according to the written report filed on the ERC website, Thomas can consider himself lucky with the four weeks - the panel reduced the initial ban of 12 weeks by two thirds when taking into account his remorse for his actions and good character.
But he has also been fined £4,960 ($9,500) for his part in the incident that took place during Toulouse's Heineken Cup triumph over Ulster, which saw team-mate Trevor Brennan punch a spectator.
According to the report, the committee, chaired by HHJ Jeff Blackett (England), Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and Achille Reali (Italy) said that "they did not accept Thomas's version of events that he was pulled back by Toulouse officials and that he held onto the top of the wall as an automatic reaction."
They added that they "suspected at that point that he had become so angry that he had lost reason and that his recollection of detail of those few seconds cannot be relied upon".
The panel found it "almost beyond comprehension that someone of Mr. Thomas's stature and experience should have put himself into the position he did."
Despite all of this, they found Thomas not guilty of 'aggressive exchanges'. More importantly however, based on the evidence assessed, the panel came to the "factual conclusion that Thomas had been provoked by what they (Ulster supporters) had said, no doubt already having a view of that section of the crowd because of what he had been told by Mr. Brennan."
This could not only be bad news for Trevor Brennan but for Ulster Rugby also. It is clear that the ERC intend to use those involved as an example to others and while that points to an expectedly lengthy ban for Brennan, the panels 'factual conclusion' means that there may well be some formal proceedings carried out against Ulster supporters for their role.
The Welsh Rugby Union has not yet decided whether or not to appeal against Thomas' punishment. "Together with our lawyers, we will be carefully considering the implications of this ruling," said WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis.
The panel's verdict will come as a huge disappointment to Thomas who, in his last season before international retirement, was looking forward to playing a key role in Wales' Grand Slam campaign.
Coach Gareth Jenkins must already plan for the game against Ireland without the likes of Shane Williams, Tom Shanklin and Mark Jones so the loss of Thomas will further handicap their backline.
By Ian Moriarty