Rugby World Cup 2019: Major blow for Wales as injury rules out Taulupe Faletau

Wales have suffered a major injury blow with No 8 Taulupe Faletau ruled out of this year's Rugby World Cup after suffering a collarbone injury "in an innocuous training ground incident", the Welsh Rugby Union said on Thursday (Friday NZT).

Faletau played all three tests for the British and Irish Lions in the drawn series with the All Blacks in 2017, but the 28-year-old has struggled with injuries since.

His last test for Wales was during the 2018 Six Nations. He then missed last year's November tests with a broken arm and he fractured it again in January, ruling him out of the Six Nations which Wales went on to win, achieving a grand slam in Warren Gatland's final season as coach ahead of the World Cup starting in Japan in September.

Faletau has played 72 tests for Wales and another four for the Lions since his international debut in 2011. His absence means Gatland will likely stick with flankers Josh Navidi and Justin Tipuric with Ross Moriarty at No 8 as Wales seek their first World Cup victory.

Wales begin their campaign against Georgia in Toyota on September 23, before facing Australia, Fiji and Uruguary in pool D.