Former Welsh winger Shane Williams has questioned Warren Gatland’s decision to field a strong side against Italy this weekend after Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb suffered potentially long-term injuries.
A difficult evening for Wales, which on any other evening would have been classed as embarrassing, ended with muted celebrations, victory seemed irrelevant when counting the cost of injuries.
The nightmare began when scrum-half Rhys Webb was caught in a ruck in the 27th minute. The Welsh Player of the Year’s screams could be heard over the referee’s microphone as his leg buckled beneath him. After being rushed to hospital, initial scans on his ankle showed no fracture but significant ligament damage. The 26-year-old is expected to be out for at least two months with the injury.
The Leigh Halfpenny situation is somewhat clouded, after the 26-year-old went down in the second half with a knee injury. If today’s scans show that his cruciate ligament is only strained and not torn then there is hope that he could play some part in the World Cup. However, if a tear is shown, it all but ends any hopes the full-back had of kicking Wales to glory.
Gatland has admitted the early signs are not promising and Williams has claimed the entire nation is ‘in mourning’ over the injuries.
“It’s just horrendous for Wales,” Williams said.
“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 for Wales and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
“You kind of 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 is a massive blow and Wales is in mourning already.”
