Wales center Allen injured out of RWC after tries hat trick

While the injuries were of grave concern to Gatland, there was also a sense of frustration in the unconvincing nature of Wales’ victory.

“We’ve got to go out there and be expressive and be prepared to move the ball if we need to”.

“Aaron Jarvis actually popped a rib cartilege as well, nothing that’s too serious but he was in quite significant pain”.

Wales, fielding largely a shadow XV, scored eight tries against Uruguay – Allen’s treble, two for scrum-half Gareth Davies, plus touchdowns by Lee, Hallam Amos and Justin Tipuric – while fly-half Rhys Priestland kicked seven conversions.

Placed alongside two-time world champions Australia and hosts England in the group of death, it is a hammer blow for Wales coach Warren Gatland who is already without star full-back Leigh Halfpenny and first-choice backs Rhys Webb and Jonathan Davies.

Flanker Dan Lydiate was, however, given the all-clear after a head knock.

“We may have to make some tough decisions with the props; at the moment we’ve only got three and we may need to make a hard call and replace one of the props”.

Vilaseca said Japan’s win over the Springboks served as an inspiration to the rest of the so-called “minnows” of the Rugby World Cup and that this would be a “good tournament for the Tier Two countries”. “We had 24 turnovers, handling errors”, added Gatland.

Asked if Wales needed to improve to beat England, Gatland replied: “I don’t think there’s much improvement at all really”.

A WRU statement added: “It’s disappointing to lose Cory in this way, especially following his man-of-the-match display against Uruguay“.

George North, normally a winger, is expected to provide the first line of cover should an problem hit Gatland’s preferred centre pairing of Jamie Roberts and Scott Williams.

All three players missed selection for Wales’ final 31-man World Cup squad, while Scarlets tight-head Rhodri Jones is not fit after rupturing a pectoral muscle at a training camp in July.

“We were definitely rusty today and England looked a bit rusty as well [on Friday night against Fiji], but I don’t think either team will take too much looking at these performances”.

“And again towards the end of the Six Nations, we saw some expansive rugby played by four or five of those teams in the championship”. “Sometimes it happens that you go through a spate of picking up a few injuries and you just have to deal with that”.

Although Uruguay had only scraps of possession and conceded a rash of penalties, they dealt in the main with Wales’ straight-line running watched by the largest crowd any of them had appeared in front of, and were neither overawed nor overpowered. As Warburton said: “Going to Twickenham is probably going to be one of the most, if not the most, high-profile games the boys will play in”.