Leigh Halfpenny has been ruled out of the Wales team for today’s autumn international opener against New Zealand at the Principality Stadium.
With the 33-year-old Scarlets full-back sidelined by injury, Gareth Anscombe moves to full-back, Rhys Priestland steps up from the bench to wear No. 10, with uncapped fly-half Sam Costelow joining the replacements.
A WRU statement said Halfpenny has suffered an aggravation of the hamstring injury he sustained on club duty.
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It’s the latest loss to the Welsh back line, with Liam Williams, Josh Adams and Alex Cuthbert already absent through injury.
The alarm bells had sounded during Friday’s captain’s run at the stadium, with Halfpenny walking straight down the tunnel at the start of the session after speaking to a member of staff.
There had been doubts over his fitness coming into Wales camp after he pulled out of the Scarlets’ clash with Connacht at the end of last month due to a hamstring issue.
He had fought his way back into the Test reckoning after being out for more than a year with the horrendous knee ligament injury he sustained on his 100th cap against Canada in July 2021. So to miss out now on a return to the international arena is a real body blow for him.
It will be Priestland’s first start for Wales in five years and his first start against a Tier One nation since 2014. The 35-year-old has won the bulk of his 52 caps at fly-half.
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