Rugby World Cup: Wales suffer double injury blow against Italy
WALES have suffered a major double injury blow two weeks before the World Cup as Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb were both carried off on stretchers.
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WALES are likely to be without Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb at the World Cup after injury cruelly struck the star pair during their side’s 23-19 victory over Italy in Cardiff.
The peril of warm-up matches crashed down hard on Wales as Australia’s other rival in pool A, England, finally flexed their muscles with a 21-13 win over Ireland at Twickenham in their final pre-World Cup Test match.
Five goals from sharpshooter Halfpenny helped the Welsh secure a tight victory over the Italians but late in the second half their star fullback fell awkwardly on his heavily strapped right knee and was stretchered off.
It came after star halfback Webb had earlier been carried from the field with an agonising ankle injury.
The whole of Wales prayed scans may reveal results on suspected ligament injuries that less serious than first feared, but both Webb and Halfpenny had painkilling gas as they were both leaving the field and would appear to out of the World Cup.
Such is their influence, the loss of both Welsh stars helps the Wallabies’ chances to progress from pool A but even Australian players wouldn’t wish that type of bad luck on their rivals.
“It’s not great is it, you’ve got to feel for them if they are ruled out,” Wales coach Warren Gatland said.
“You’ve got to put that behind you and work with the players you’ve got.”
Wales captain Sam Warburton said: “When you see players down in a bit of pain it does effect the players. They both looked in fantastic shape and they’re two big players for us.
“Fingers crossed for the scan results on Monday. I’m going to be very optimistic until I hear otherwise.”
England, meanwhile, turned around indifferent form in their World Cup warm-up games and posted a morale-boosting victory over Ireland.
The Irish have been touted as the strongest northern hemisphere side but will go into the World Cup on the back of two straight defeats.
England’s sharp outside backs again proved the most deadly part of their attack, and the English forward pack did enough to provide them with sufficient ball.
Jonny May and Anthony Watson scored England’s two tries to Ireland’s one, with the boots of George Ford and Owen Farrell kicking them through to victory.
“I think this team is ready,” England coach Stuart Lancaster said.
“There are six or seven teams who could win it — I would add to the list Ireland, Australia, Wales, New Zealand, South Africa, the list goes on — and whoever does win it will have to put together a run of six or seven performances on the bounce.
“That’s our challenge as well, but playing at Twickenham the way we did against Ireland, we’re a hard team to beat.”
France beat Scotland 19-16 in a thriller in Paris.
Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Wales suffer double injury blow against Italy
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