WALES full-back Leigh Halfpenny has been ruled out of the World Cup, the Welsh Rugby Union has announced.

Wales edged out Italy 23-19 at the Millennium Stadium in Saturday's final World Cup warm-up clash, but the collateral damage could dent their chances at the fast-approaching global tournament.

Head coach Gatland's men will open their Pool A battle by facing Uruguay in Cardiff a week on Sunday, with both Halfpenny and Webb now huge doubts over taking any part in the tournament.

Former Scotland and British and Irish Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan called on Gatland to draft Mike Phillips back into his Wales squad in the event Webb misses the World Cup.

McGeechan admitted he was shocked to see Gatland jettison Phillips, along with other big-name stars James Hook and Richard Hibbard, from his original 31-man World Cup selection.

"You've got to look now at what they can do and the potential replacements," said McGeechan.

"And I was surprised they dropped Mike Phillips, he really impressed me in 2009.

"The build-up to the World Cup is three or four months so you've got control of the players in fitness terms, so you can prepare them as you need, not rely on what happens elsewhere.

"So I think he'll be looking now at how he uses Mike Phillips at scrum-half, to bring in that experience.

"Although he's lost his number-one nine, he's got to be looking at how he shakes that up with the others."

World Cup winner and former Australia fly-half Michael Lynagh admitted Wales' potential injury plight could benefit the Wallabies in Pool A.

Wales, England and Australia are all fighting for the two quarter-final berths from the 'group of death', with Lynagh reluctantly accepting Gatland's men may now lose a vital edge.

"It does help Australia," said Lynagh. "But I'm just terribly upset for the players involved.

"You really don't want to see anyone miss a World Cup through injury, especially not picking up problems at this late stage.

"Leigh Halfpenny, in goal-kicking terms, he's the best around. Other people have to step up.

"Dan Biggar will take the goal-kicking on now and Mike Phillips' role could become quite important if he's drafted in.

"He's a senior member of that squad and he's got to come in with the right attitude. It's really important people step into the breach."

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