A 'Missing the Rugby World Cup' XV - Part 2

With Ireland the only major team yet to name their official 33-man Rugby World Cup squad, the full extent of players that won’t be at the tournament in France for one reason or another is becoming clearer.

Be it the selection axe or a cruelly timed injury, many of the game’s biggest names sadly won’t grace the fields of France over the next two and half months.

We’ve already compiled a ‘Missing the Rugby World Cup’ XV – Part 1, which you can read here.

Part 2 is below and includes some of the tournament’s latest casualties.

1. Cyril Baille
Arguably the best loosehead in the world misses out through an injury to his calf. You could alternately have All Blacks veteran Joe Moody, if that’s your thing.

2. Ken Owens
‘The Sheriff’ was ruled out of Wales’ Rugby World Cup due to a back injury way back in June. The void he’s left has certainly opened the door for fellow hooker Dewi Lake, who steps up as co-captain.

3. Harry Williams
Once England’s second-choice tighthead, Williams has fallen down the pecking order considerably over the last two years, and his decision last season to move to France probably didn’t help his cause. Won 19 England caps, the last of which came back in 2021.

4. Josh Lord
The highly rated New Zealander rookie was able to break into the World Cup squad, even if he’s been deemed the next taxi off the rank, travelling with the team to Europe this month.

5. Darcy Swain
Although his discipline has been questionable, Swain was seen by some as leading the next generation of Wallaby second rows. Jones clearly isn’t a huge fan, as he didn’t make the squad.

6. Ethan Blackadder
Another player for whom injury has struck at the worst time, Blackadder would likely have been involved otherwise.

7. Sam Underhill
A bit of a head-scratcher for England fans, although there was some logic if you buy that Borthwick ultimately went for in-form Saracens fetcher Ben Earl instead of the Bath man.

8. Evan Roos
Being the best No.8 in the URC wasn’t enough for Roos to usurp Jasper Wieser, who clearly has the confidence of the Springboks management.

9. Jack van Poortvliet
The Leicester nine suffered a significant ankle injury in England’s second World Cup warm-up international against Wales and was forced to withdraw from the squad.

10. Romain Ntamack
A major blow for France, the star flyhalf and the other half of the Toulouse halfback duo was forced to withdraw from the side earlier this month. Bookies believe it was enough to displace the home side as favourites.

11. Anthony Watson
Bedevilled by injury over the years, Watson will miss the entire tournament in France because of a calf problem that was revealed on Thursday.

12. Len Ikitau 
The young Wallabies centre who was nursing a shoulder injury has also been cut from the squad. He lost out to a settled midfield department of Lalakai Foketi, Samu Kerevi, Izaia Perese and Jordan Petaia.

13. Israel Folau
Folau wasn’t able to recover from a knee injury in time and Tonga were forced to leave him out of their Rugby World Cup squad.

14. James O’Connor
O’Connor was once a staple of Australian teams but didn’t really get a look in under Eddie Jones. Has been involved with ‘Australia A’ recently mind, so all might not be lost for the Queensland man.

15. Stuart Hogg
The Scotland great pulled out of the tournament, choosing to retire from the game entirely, claiming his body was no longer up to the task of international rugby.