mobanmarketCardiff: Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe is to miss the Rugby World Cup with a serious knee injury, the Welsh Rugby Union announced on Monday.
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The 28-year-old New Zealand-born playmaker suffered the injury in Sunday’s 33-19 loss at Twickenham.
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“Gareth Anscombe is out of Rugby World Cup contention after sustaining an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury in the match against England yesterday,” read the WRU statement.
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Anscombe’s absence is a blow to the team’s World Cup hopes. He was pivotal as Wales won last season’s Six Nations Grand Slam.
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“The Wales squad and management would like to wish Gareth the very best with his recovery,” said the WRU statement.
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Dan Biggar is the likely replacement for Anscombe in the starting line-up, the 29-year-old has more than 70 caps and came on to great effect in the Six Nations clash with England last season.
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Anscombe is the second high-profile Wales casualty. Back-row forward Taulupe Faletau was ruled out earlier this month because of a collarbone injury.
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There are 40 players remaining in head coach Warren Gatland’s World Cup squad, which will be reduced to the final 31-strong party at the beginning of September.
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Wales face England again in Cardiff on Saturday, followed by a double-header against Ireland in Cardiff on August 31 and Dublin on September 7.
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Gatland – who brings the curtain down on his 12-year Welsh reign after the World Cup – and his side begin their World Cup campaign in Japan against Pool D opponents Georgia on September 23.
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They play 2015 finalists Australia six days later, Fiji on October 9 and Uruguay four days after that.
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