The XV that could miss the Rugby World Cup through injury
It is 74 days before the Rugby World Cup starts in Japan, and head coaches will be becoming increasingly nervous as to when their injured players will return.
There is a spate of injured players across the world, primarily from the southern hemisphere after a tough Super Rugby season, and time is running out.
While there are some players that have been completely ruled out of the World Cup, here is a XV of those fighting to be fit for when the competition starts on September 20th.
15 Jack Nowell
England’s Nowell sustained a nasty ankle injury for Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership final against Saracens, which he has had surgery on. Exeter coach Steve Baxter has said that he should be fit for the World Cup, but faces a race to be match fit come the first game in Japan.
14 Jordan Petaia
The 19-year-old Reds three quarter has not represented the Wallabies yet, but looked to be Australia’s next sensation at the beginning of the Super Rugby season. He was ruled out for the season in March with a foot injury, but has made his comeback. A question mark remains as to whether he will be ready in time for the World Cup.
13 Jan Serfontein
The Montpellier centre was a surprise omission from Rassie Erasmus’ recent Springboks squad, but it was later revealed that he has had surgery on his ankle. He is clearly on the radar of the South African coaching team, but faces a fight to recover.
12 Sonny Bill Williams
The double World Cup winner has had a season dogged by injury, only managing three Super Rugby starts for the Blues. Nonetheless, he was named in Steve Hansen’s All Blacks squad for the start of the Rugby Championship, but a tight hamstring has put him on the sidelines again as he persistently struggles to remain fit.
11 Bautista Delguy
Argentina’s Delguy was a member of the rampant Jaguares team before an ankle injury ended his season in March. He made his debut for the Pumas last year, but now faces an uphill battle to make it back in time for the World Cup.
10 Damian Willemse
At 21 years of age, Willemse is one of South Africa’s emerging stars. Unfortunately, his season was cut short in June after having knee surgery. He is still expected to make the World Cup, but Erasmus will be acutely aware that recovery times may take longer than expected.
9 Gonzalo Bertranou
Bertranou ended his 2018 very well, starting in Argentina’s final test match of the year against Scotland, as well as becoming a regular in Mario Ledesma’s squad. But a traumatic shoulder dislocation in the Jaguares opening game of the season has thrown the scrum-half’s World Cup hopes in doubt.
8 David Pocock
Pocock has perhaps had the most publicised injury leading up to the World Cup. He has a ‘rare’ calf problem, which first ruled him out of the rest of the Super Rugby season after only playing a handful of games. He has now been ruled out of the beginning of the Rugby Championship, and as the World Cup grows closer, it is still no clearer whether the Australian talisman will be there.
It's not too late for David Pocock to make an impact for the @qantaswallabies in the Rugby Championship – even though he's not been named in the initial squad. https://t.co/dFA2ymHvsY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 4, 2019
7 Siya Kolisi
The Springboks skipper was having a wonderful season for the Stormers when a knee injury ended it in May. While the flanker has not had surgery, his return date is not known yet. While he will still have some role to play at the World Cup, everyone involved with the Springboks will want him to be 100% fit.
6 Ellis Jenkins
Jenkins has long been regarded as a future star for Wales, but a devastating ACL injury against the Springboks in November ruined his season. He has subsequently had two surgeries on his knee, and the Wales camp have remained coy as to whether he will make the World Cup.
5 Ruan Botha
The Springboks have had some injury scares in recent weeks, with Eben Etzebeth sustaining a hand injury. But the uncapped Botha may be the biggest concern after having surgery on his foot. He is an outside bet to make the World Cup, but an injury would foil his chances of impressing at the Rugby Championship.
4 George Kruis
Kruis finished the season for Saracens with no apparent injury, but is one of three England players in camp for rehabilitation after ankle surgery. Eddie Jones remains confident he will be ready for the World Cup, but he may not play any of the warm-up games.
3 Tim Perry
Although a loosehead prop, Perry is on this list due to the lack of injuries to tightheads. The Crusaders front-row was omitted from the All Blacks squad recently due to injury alongside Ryan Crotty and Scott Barrett, and a return date is unknown.
2 Dylan Hartley
England’s second-most capped player Hartley has not played a game of rugby in 2019 due to a knee injury. While many thought his World Cup chances were all but over, Jones has refused to rule out his go-to captain, although some will understandably have their doubts.
1 Mako Vunipola
Alongside Nowell and Kruis, Vunipola is one of the three players in the England camp for rehabilitation after sustaining a torn hamstring in the Champions Cup final, which required surgery. While he may still make the World Cup warm-up games, but hamstring injuries take a while to return to full fitness.
Comments on RugbyPass
It was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
5 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to comments