Four games into the season and a common theme among all four regional coaches was how thin their squads are looking.
They saw their budgets trimmed even further before the start of the season to £4.5m each and even the Welsh Rugby Union has admitted that is £2m short of what is needed.
Now resources are being stretched to breaking point as injuries mount and the clubs try to limp their way to the autumn international break.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth said his squad is “very depleted” while Cardiff may be forced to beg, borrow or steal a hooker for this weekend’s trip to Edinburgh.
They finished against Scarlets with their fourth choice hooker Dafydd Hughes and are sweating over medical updates on both Efan Daniel and Evan Lloyd.
Dragons new signing Steve Cummins, who broke a bone in his hand during a pre-season friendly, could be ready for a competitive debut this weekend.
Head coach Dai Flanagan said after a lacklustre display against Lions: “We’ve asked a lot of the same group of lads and perhaps it showed. But we haven’t got much left, that’s the brutal truth.
“We’re a small squad with just 27 or 28 players training each day. We have to prepare but where do you take your foot off the gas? We’re at the bare bones, so we have to tap into emotion this week.”
