Warren Gatland has defended his decision to play Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb
Wednesday 9 September 2015 10:18, UK
Warren Gatland's World Cup plans for Wales were thrown into disarray after influential full-back Leigh Halfpenny and scrum-half Rhys Webb were ruled out of the World Cup due to injury.
Both players were injured during Saturday's 23-19 victory over Italy with Halfpenny suffering cruciate knee ligament damage and Webb sustaining "a significant mid-foot injury".
Former Wales winger Shane Williams was critical of Gatland's decision to have two of his key players on the pitch in a warm-up game so close to the World Cup.
Halfpenny took the field with strapping already on his knee but Gatland said that was merely precautionary and he feels it was important to give his players adequate game time in order to enable them to peak for the World Cup.
"There was more than one player out there with strapping on. Half a dozen players and probably more than that get strapped up before every game," Gatland told Sky Sports News HQ.
"He had that strapping on before the game in Dublin. It is something he had for the last three weeks and used it when he was kicking.
"Having spoken to the physio, he said he didn't really need the strapping but the fact he had been using it for the last two or three weeks, he put it on. It was nothing to do with that.
"I know there has been some criticism about protecting players and you always question yourself about that. It is just trying to get the balance right between players having enough rugby and keeping players fresh.
"I looked at that before the game and thought some of those players had played in Dublin the week before and if they weren't involved in the first game against Georgia and then played against England, that would be four weeks between the two matches.
"For some of those players, that would be a little bit long and they would want to play a little bit more."
Ospreys winger Eli Walker and Racing Metro and Lions scrum-half Mike Phillips have been called into the 31-man squad as replacements.
Moving on
With Wales scheduled to kick off their World Cup campaign against Uruguay on September 20 before playing England six days later, Gatland says his team must put the injuries behind them and focus instead on the task ahead.
Gatland said: "You have got to really feel for them, they have worked so hard.
"To get injured in the last warm-up game and then to be ruled out of the World Cup is devastating for the two lads but they have both had injuries in the past and they have come back from them.
"Hopefully they are not going to be out of the game for too long. Probably both of them are going to need operations. Hopefully they are successful and they can be back as early as possible.
"I think one of the things you have to be cognizant of is the fact that you are going to pick up injuries and we can't feel sorry for ourselves. You have got to just move on and be positive.
"We must be positive about everyone else in the squad - that the players who will come in can do a job and the players who are already there can do a job for us. We are pretty happy with the strength of the squad and what they are able to deliver.
"Morale is not going to be an issue. These players have worked so hard in the last few months. They are going to be disappointed for Leigh and Rhys but professional sport is about accepting those disappointments and moving on."
