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Wayne Pivac is braced for a double blow after reports centre duo Hadleigh Parkes and Owen Williams are each set to call time on their Wales careers.

The two men, who were part of Pivac's Six Nations squad, are said to have rejected offers in regional rugby and are poised to head out to Japan instead in big money moves.

It means they will each be ineligible for Wales selection, as Parkes and Williams fall well short of the 60-cap mark needed under WRU rules for exiles to be chosen for their country,

That, in turn, will leave Pivac short of options in what has become a problem area for Wales.

It is unclear exactly when Wales will play next, whether on the summer tour to New Zealand or the rearranged Six Nations fixture with Scotland in October.

Either way, if the reports prove to be correct Parkes and Williams will need to be written out of the equation.

According to the Daily Mail, 32-year-old Parkes is ready to reject a new one-year deal with the Scarlets and join Japanese League leaders Panasonic Wild Knights.

He was linked at the weekend with ambitious Kobe Steel, who are also chasing the league title, but the Mail claim Parkes has chosen to team up with Wallaby great David Pocock and New Zealand lock veteran Sam Whitelock with the Ota-based Wild Knights.

His current Scarlets deal runs out at the end of the season, Parkes among the players who have agreed to a 25 per cent wage cut for the next three months amid the coronavirus crisis.

You can read about the Welsh players' U-turn on pay here

Parkes was chosen for Wales by Warren Gatland on residency grounds after he had spent three years with the Scarlets, being rushed straight into the international set-up.

The hasty selection of someone who had previously played Super Rugby in his New Zealand homeland raised eyebrows for some, but Parkes has been a regular since scoring two tries on a man of the match Wales debut against South Africa in December 2017.

Parkes was part of the Grand Slam side last year and helped Wales reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, but if the reports are correct he seems to have already played his last Test for his adopted country. With 23 caps to his name, Parkes falls well short of the 60-appearances mark required for exiled players.

The Mail report Parkes wants the better security that is on offer in the cash-laden Japanese League once rugby eventually resumes.

Gloucester star Williams could be the natural stand-in for Parkes in the Wales 12 jersey, but he too is reportedly Japan bound.

The 28-year-old has only five caps to his name and has seen his Test career hampered by injury problems just when it appeared ready to ignite.

Williams was wanted by the Ospreys and Dragons, each region keen to bring the former Scarlet back home to Wales, but it is said they have been unable to compete with the money on offer in Japan.

Williams is a class act, adept at fly-half or centre, and his footballing skills could have played a key part in Pivac's plans to evolve Wales into a more adventurous team.

However, his imminent departure would also rule him out of the equation and leave Pivac short of options in the centre.

Wales newcomer Nick Tompkins and Jonathan Davies, when fit, are the likely first-choice pairing, with Ospreys' star Owen Watkin the next in line.

But if Parkes and Williams do head to the Far East, Pivac will need to seek cover elsewhere.

It will also be a huge blow to WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips, who has been fighting hard to bring in a system that ensures the best players are based in Wales and available for selection.