Rugby World Cup 2015: Rhys Webb agony as he joins Leigh Halfpenny on sidelines

Sidelined: Webb suffered ankle and knee injuries against Italy during Wales’ final warm-up game
(Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Jonathan Hunn8 September 2015

Wales were dealt another massive blow this morning with the news that Rhys Webb will join Leigh Halfpenny in missing the World Cup.

The scrum-half, who suffered ankle and knee injuries against Italy during Wales’s final warm-up game in Cardiff on Saturday, tweeted: “Really disappointed to be ruled out of the RWC. After all the hard work I’ve put in over the summer, words can’t describe how I’m feeling.”

Halfpenny, meanwhile, faces up to six months out after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in the same game.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland said: “It is extremely disappointing for both Leigh and Rhys. They have worked exceptionally hard to establish themselves and to prepare for the tournament and we wish them all the best with their recovery.”

Veteran scrum-half Mike Phillips has earned a World Cup reprieve, being brought into the squad as cover for Webb, while Ospreys wing Eli Walker has also been drafted in.

Gatland added: “After announcing the squad we spoke about the need for players to remain ready for action and so this is a great opportunity for Mike and Eli.

“It’s great that we can call on players of this calibre. To bring Mike’s experience into the squad is a bonus, along with Eli’s exciting talent.”

Wales say 26-year-old Webb requires further assessments on both his foot and knee before it is known whether he requires surgery.

Five classic Rugby World Cup Matches

1/5

Gatland, meanwhile, has come under fire from former Wales greats Shane Williams and JJ Williams over his decision to risk Halfpenny against Italy.

“I saw Leigh warming up and noticed his knee had been strapped up ,” said Shane Williams. “I thought, ‘Do we need this guy on the field? Let’s wrap him up in cotton wool and roll him out when we really need him’.

“It’s just horrendous for Wales. Rhys Webb has been the form player for Wales over the last two seasons. To lose Halfpenny as well, it’s just a massive blow and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. It is a real kick in the teeth.”

Williams’s namesake and fellow Lion, JJ, was similarly bemused at the selection, saying: “The bandaging on his leg was enormous, so there was a problem there. I think it was a bad decision to play him.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT