LONDON – Wales fullback Leigh Halfpenny has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup and will miss up to six months after suffering a knee injury in Wales’ final World Cup warm-up match on Saturday.
Halfpenny suffered ruptured knee ligaments in the 23-19 win over Italy after catching his boot in the turf on Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. After being seen to by the Welsh medical staff, Halfpenny did not paint a promising picture being stretchered of whilst sucking on a pain-killer.
The loss compounds Wales’ woes after scrum half Rhys Webb was also felled by a knee injury after it was caught under him in a tackle. He is also touch and go to miss the Rugby World Cup after it emerged Webb also suffered an ankle injury in the incident.
It will make Coach Warren Gatland’s week even worse now with the Wales 31-man Rugby World Cup squad already carrying a host of injured players into the side.
The most likely replacement for Halfpenny will be New Zealand-born Gareth Anscombe however, the 24 year old is also nursing an ankle injury