Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb: Injured Wales pair 'stay positive'

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Highlights: Wales 23-19 Italy

Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny says he is "trying to stay as positive as possible", external as he waits to discover the extent of his knee injury.

Halfpenny, 26, is expected to have a scan on the injury on Monday amid fears he will miss the World Cup.

Scrum-half Rhys Webb, also 26, may also be out after damaging ankle ligaments as Wales beat Italy on Saturday.

"Really can't thank you all enough for all your well wishes. Trying to stay as positive as possible," Webb tweeted., external

Webb was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff after the game, which Wales won 23-19.

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Wales coach Warren Gatland said the scrum-half's injury was "not a break, but could be ligament damage".

The player tweeted earlier on Sunday: "Morphine and a scrub off the nurses. Good start to a glorious Sunday morning."

Image source, Twitter

Toulon full-back Halfpenny was also taken off on a stretcher during Wales' final warm-up game, appearing to twist his right knee while attempting to collect a loose ball.

His right leg was heavily bandaged from the start of the game, and former Wales winger JJ Williams said he should not have been risked.

"The bandaging on his leg was quite enormous wasn't it? So there's a problem there," he told BBC Radio Wales.

"I think it was a bad decision to play him at all.

"It was the ideal chance to try Matthew Morgan at full-back - just give him a run out.

"They are paying the penalty. Now we've got a deep problem of who is going to replace these boys."

Webb has established himself as Wales' leading scrum-half, while Halfpenny is their main goal-kicker.

If Webb is ruled out, Racing 92 veteran Mike Phillips is a leading candidate to be recalled, having been omitted from the original 31-man squad.

Wales begin their World Cup campaign against Uruguay in Cardiff on 20 September, before facing England, Fiji and Australia in their pool.

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