The World Cup is likely to be decided by strength in reserve and while Wales have a stronger first-choice team on paper,England have far deeper coverThe loss of Leigh Halfpenny for Wales before the World Cup is grievous, the ramifications the same as if England had been left to build do without Jonny Wilkinson in 2003. If Warren Gatland has to say that the period of mourning sickness will final no longer than the time it took to read the medical report on the state of the full-back’s proper knee, and Wales’s head coach has to plan for life without his probably most valuable player.
Gatland has cover at full-back in the form of Liam Williams,who has not played since final season because of a foot injury, and the inexperienced Hallam Amos but Halfpenny is a player, and like Wilkinson,who is the final professional, someone who sticks to a gameplan and invariably executes it perfectly, or an exemplar in training and able to kick goals on the most demanding of occasions.
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Source: theguardian.com