TAULUPE Faletau will be just 28 when he heads to his third World Cup but he could incredibly bring up a century of caps in Japan.

George North, who will be 27, could beat him to the ton while Alun Wyn Jones, who will be 34, would be well past the landmark when embarking on a last hurrah.

You'd think this Wales side, who are still recovering from the mental and physical exertions of the World Cup, will lose very few players by the time Japan comes around.

Only Gethin Jenkins, Paul James, Luke Charteris, Mike Phillips and James Hook will be past their prime in terms of age but one wonders whether miles on the clock in international rugby may claim a few more victims.

There are few things as futile as thinking up a likely side for 2019 when Test rugby is so brutal and the international schedule is so saturated.

Every year Wales will play Six Nations and autumn encounters while next summer they have a three-Test tour to New Zealand, in 2017 their Lions will tackle the All Blacks while others tour the South Seas, then in 2018 it's Argentina.

They aren't alone, every nation is filling their schedules and players are reaching breaking point.

Clubs will give their talent a bit of a rest after a summer of toil and weeks of tournament action but European rugby is looming so there is only so much R&R they can allow.

In the past few weeks we have seen the likes of Paul O'Connell (36), Jean de Villiers (34), Nick Easter (37), Victor Matfield (38) and Mauro Bergamasco (36) turning out on the biggest stage for the final time.

It seems inevitable that such golden oldies will become a thing of the past given the manner in which Sam Warburton, Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate & Co fling themselves into contact.