Wales star Taulupe Faletau said on Tuesday it was “hard to give your all” against the backdrop of the contractual dispute that has engulfed Welsh rugby in recent weeks.

All four Welsh professional regions — Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets — face major funding cuts, leading to vastly reduced contract offers for many players whose deals expire at the end of this season, and an exodus appears inevitable.

The off-field issues led to the threat of a players’ strike before the Six Nations clash against England last month.

Although industrial action was averted and the game went ahead as scheduled, Wales suffered a third successive Six Nations defeat.

And they now head to Rome for an appointment with Italy on Saturday, when another loss could lead to a first wooden spoon since 2003.

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