The stacked Six Nations 'Missing in Action' XV
In the modern game, injuries to frontline players have become the norm, and the Six Nations is no more immune to that brute fact than any other competition.
The 2019 iteration has followed this trend, the Home Nations sides in particular feeling the pinch.
This weekend saw potential injuries to both Scotland’s Finn Russell and Wales’ Dan Biggar while on domestic duty at their clubs – with several players – Stuart Hogg, Devin Toner and Maro Itoje among others – unable to make it through the first two rounds of the Guinness Six Nations unscathed.
With all that in mind RugbyPass has put together a composite XV of players who are unavailable for selection through injury.
15 Stuart Hogg
Hogg’s shoulder injury following a questionable collision with Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony was a hammer blow for the Scots. The good news is it doesn’t look like he needs surgery and could be back in action in time for the Calcutta Cup.
14 Anthony Watson
Watson is on the long term injury list. The 24-year-old initially tore his Achille’s tendon in the Six Nations clash with Ireland in March, with a six-month lay-off reportedly expected at the time. But Bath revealed in August that his operation was not a success and he instead re-tore the tendon, with director of rugby Todd Blackadder refusing to put a date on a return.
13 Garry Ringrose
Ringrose reported some hamstring tightness which ultimately saw him miss the game with Scotland in Round 2, but the elusive centre could yet be in contention for Italy this Sunday.
12 Huw Jones
Jones is unlikely to play any further part in the 2019 Guinness Six Nations. The Glasgow Warriors midfielder sustained knee ligament damage in the national team’s round two defeat to Ireland at BT Murrayfield Stadium, with scan results suggesting the injury recovery time would likely be beyond the reaches of the current campaign. While he normally plays 13 for Scotland, we’ve selected at 12 where he’s also adept.
11 Chris Ashton
Ashton suffered a minor calf strain during a training camp in London last week. He will spend the week rehabbing with Sale Sharks.
10 Finn Russell*
Finn Russell sustained a head injury during Racing 92’s TOP 14 clash with Toulouse in Paris yesterday and was withdrawn from play. He is now subject to further monitoring and the graduated return to play protocol.
9 Luke McGrath
McGrath’s knee injury against Toulouse in the European Championship while playing for Leinster has effectively ruled him out of the Six Nations. He may have played second fiddle to Conor Murray, but a very talented one at that.
1 Mako Vunipola
The competition’s standout loosehead, Vunipola has presented Jones with a significant selection headache in the frontrow. Ben Moon and Ellis Genge appear to be fighting it out for the honour, but neither are at the British and Irish Lion’s level as yet.
1:57 – Mako Vunipola has made 23 carries and 38 tackles in 119 minutes of action in the 2019 #GuinnessSixNations; his rate of one carry or tackle every 1 minute 57 seconds is the best of any player in the competition this year. Sidelined. pic.twitter.com/uuUhEwLrOs
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) February 12, 2019
2 Dylan Hartley
Having been dogged by concussion, it is his knee that has kept him out of contention so far in the tournament. While he’s training with England, he is yet to be cleared to play.
3 WP Nel
With Zander Fagerson returning on the weekend, Scotland suddenly look a great deal healthier at tighthead. WP Nel, however, is one of the tournaments top tightheads, both in the set-piece and loose.
4 Devin Toner
The 6’10 lock aggravated an ankle injury and has undergone surgery for the issue suffered in Ireland’s 32-20 loss to England and will be sidelined for two months. Has missed just seven games since Schmidt took charge of Ireland.
5 Maro Itoje
A knee ligament tear threatened to sideline the lock for the entire tournament, but the early prognosis proved inaccurate and it seems that he will almost certainly feature before the Six Nations concludes. Currently he remains ‘sans action’.
6 John Barclay
Barclay is recovering from a ruptured Achilles he suffered last May, and while Cockerill said he expects the 32-year-old to make his debut for Edinburgh this year, he is out of the frame for the start of Scotland’s Six Nations.
Turnovers are a ? way to win a match! Here are the leaders in this department so far…
1?? Josh Navidi
2?? John Barclay
3?? Owen Farrell
Find out more stats – https://t.co/RMe7tUFYhs pic.twitter.com/3ytz4HRE2t
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 3, 2018
7 Sam Underhill
Underhill, who underwent ankle surgery seven weeks ago, will return to the field in five weeks provided his rehabilitation continues at the rate it has. We could easily have chosen the outstanding Hamish Watson here.
8 Taulupe Faletau
The 28-year-old Bath backrow underwent surgery on a broken arm, a second surgery in recent months and he will not feature in this year’s tournament. Maybe the only Number 8 to truly rival Billy Vunipola in Europe.
Possible bench players: Hamish Watson, Tadgh Beirne, CJ Stander, Leigh Halfpenny
Comments on RugbyPass
I’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
7 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
13 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
13 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to comments