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Why Leigh Halfpenny Will Be Key for Wales at the 2015 World Cup
Published: April 8, 2015
In 2011 under a callow captain and with Warren Gatland only four years into his reign as head coach, they came agonisingly close to the final, losing to France with 14 men after Sam Warburton’s controversial red card.
Four years on, the same coach has guided a Lions squad to victory with Warburton maturing as his skipper, and they have world-class talents such as Gethin Jenkins, Alun-Wyn Jones, Jamie Roberts and George North capable of featuring in any World XV.
They have performed well in the Six Nations, with that opening day defeat to England this year denying them the Grand Slam, and they showed their attacking verve with that mountainous score against Italy that was so nearly enough to wrest the title from Ireland.
Each of the men mentioned already will be vital to their chances this year. They are in the hardest pool with England and Australia to play, and they will need victory over at least one of them to secure passage through to the knockout stages.
It is likely these games will be decided by tight margins, and in such circumstances, teams need reliable points scorers with the boot. They don’t come much more reliable than Leigh Halfpenny.
The Wales and Lions full-back is the best goal-kicking No. 15 in world rugby and was recently named at No. 3 in a list of Wales’ most influential players of the 21st century compiled by Wales Online, behind only Shane Williams and Gethin Jenkins.
Jenkins’ scrummaging and tackling is certainly a central plank in the Welsh game plan, but Halfpenny edges it as the key man for their World Cup campaign for two main reasons.
Goal-kicking
In the 2015 Six Nations, Halfpenny was Mr. Dependable with the boot.
Analysis by goalkickers.co.za ranks Halfpenny as the most v...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union
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