Wales’ World Cup injury curse claims Allen

Wales are refusing to be downhearted by the injury problems that are threatening to undermine their Rugby World Cup campaign, flanker Dan Lydiate said on Monday.

Uruguay enjoyed an emotional first experience of the Millennium Stadium despite losing 54-9 to Wales in their opening Rugby World Cup Pool A match this morning.

Tyler Morgan has been brought into Wales’ World Cup squad to replace Cory Allen who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

“Justin Tipuric had a strong game for us and we had a good impact off the bench”. And Wales are expected to have around 20,000 fans at the game, almost four times the official allocation for their last visit to Twickenham in the 2014 Six Nations.

Centre Cory Allen became the fourth player to withdraw from Warren Gatland’s 31-man squad on Monday, with Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Webb and Eli Walker having pulled out before the tournament started.

Props Paul James and Samson Lee suffered calf injuries with a third prop, Aaron Jarvis, popped a rib cartilage.

“We’re massively excited about this game on Saturday, it’s exactly what the World Cup is about”.

That is certainly true with England facing a Group of Death with Australia, Wales, Fiji and Uruguay before they even contemplate the knockout stages, where South Africa could be waiting. “We select it on a week-by-week basis, assess the performance and decide what’s best to play Wales”. For the first 40 or 45 it was probably creaking a little bit so we know they’re going to come at us there, but it’s something we look forward to and something we pride ourselves on.

“England at Twickenham in their World Cup, it doesn’t get much bigger than that”.

He added that Gatland would look to make the most of a “siege mentality” in motivating Wales.

“We’ve got a really good set of guys here who are all waiting to take that opportunity, but are very positive when they don’t get the call”.

“I’m sure it will be the same at Twickenham”.

“From when Warren (Gatland) and Shaun were at Wasps, I know the sort of messages they will be giving to their players in the week”.

“All in all to get five points we are in a happy place”.

“I think we are the only northern hemisphere team that have beaten them and that was back in 2012”.

“It comes naturally to me because you don’t ever want to be that player that when everyone is going one way, you’re pulling the other”.