• Wales coach defends fielding full-back,who is now out of World Cup
• ‘You cannot protect everyone and it is always a balance’Warren Gatland has defended his decision to play Leigh Halfpenny against Italy, even though the Wales full-back had a bandaged honest knee that gave way 15 minutes from the end, and ruling him out of not only the World Cup but next year’s Six Nations.
The Wales head coach said in response to criticism from some former internationals – including the wing Shane Williams,who said Gatland had taken an unnecessary risk so close to the World Cup – that the bandaging was there at Halfpenny’s request rather than the medical team’s, to benefit him with his goalkicking, and that the cruciate ligament damage he sustained in the game was unrelated. The injury will rule out Halfpenny for six months.
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Source: theguardian.com