England flanker Tom Wood cleared to face Australia

Speaking on Sunday at the Wales team base, assistant coach and defence specialist Shaun Edwards confirmed there is potential for fresh injury setbacks.

England flanker Tom Wood will be free to play in Saturday’s crucial World Cup Pool A clash with Australia after he received just a warning from for an incident during the 28-25 defeat to Wales.

With key backs Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Webb and Cory Allen already on Wales’ casualty list, winger Hallam Amos suffered a dislocated shoulder and centre Scott Williams a knee injury during the bruising encounter with England.

A combination of three yellow cards or Citing Commissioner Warnings accumulated during the tournament will result in a hearing.

Williams must now go through the return-to-play protocol before he can be considered fit to start in Wales’ match against Fiji on Thursday.

Stuart Lancaster’s side face Australia on Saturday 3 October, knowing defeat will al but end hopes of reaching the knock-out stage, a challenge accentuated by injury worries surrounding Jonathan Joseph, Billy Vunipola, Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes and Ben Morgan.

Wood used Twitter to express his remorse that Williams – Wales’ must potent carrier in the pivotal Pool A showdown – had been forced off. I think we will make a comment on that later on.

“I do feel guilty”. It is something we are going to look at. Would I have done anything differently?

“I was just purely looking at the ball and that was the way it bounced”. It was unfortunate I caught him sweet with the shin.

“We would probably look first at the original (training) squad, but we are in a situation now where we might have to spread our wings even further”, Edwards added.

Williams was carried off on a stretcher after Wood’s boot connected with his head as the flanker went for a loose ball, and the full-back is now an injury doubt with suspected concussion.

“I’m sorry for the outcome, 100 per cent. I’m told he’s on his feet and moving around as normal, which is quite a relief”, the 28-year-old Northampton Saints back-rower said. “That’s a huge relief because there’s an element of guilt there”.