Warren Gatland has revealed how Justin Tipuric left him stunned by suddenly revealing he was retiring from Wales duty with the World Cup just months away.
The Wales boss wanted his brilliant openside to play a key role at this autumn's global showpiece in France, where Wales lock horns with Australia, Georgia, Fiji and Portugal in the group stages.
Gatland will step up preparations for the tournament when his entire 49-man squad meet up this week to begin their training in earnest. So far the players in camp have been put through their paces in small groups.
