Crocked Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny has hobbled to the defence of under-fire coach Warren Gatland on the eve of the World Cup.
Halfpenny, the goalkicker supreme in world rugby, is out of action for up to eight months after a knee operation.
His loss hits Welsh hopes hard and the situation has been compounded by criticism of Gatland because Halfpenny was playing against Italy with the knee area strapped. Halfpenny told The Independent the injury was unrelated to the bandaging.
"That was (for) a bump I had picked up in training a few weeks before," he said.
"I played against Ireland with the strapping and because I had it on for a few weeks in training...I wanted to keep things the same.
