Each 6 Nations Teams Biggest Loss Due to Injury

Rugby is a physical game, and injuries will happen, a fact which all coaches accept. This year, several big names will not be taking part due to injuries, and we at RBP thought we’d pick each teams biggest loss.

England: Henry Slade

Eddie Jones loves a distributor at 12, and Slade would have filled this role perfectly. He was in great form against Uruguay, and then carried that form into the Premiership and the Champions Cup, putting him in pole position for the 12 shirt under Jones. A broken leg has derailed those plans however, and this is a major loss for England. Slade’s dynamic running and brilliant vision would’ve been perfect for England, who have promised to play a more expansive game under Eddie Jones.

France: Wesley Fofana

Fofana has been at the center of the French attack for the last 3 years, and his absence will be a major loss for new France coach Guy Noves. Few can match the attacking creativity of the Clermont center, who is one of the most well rounded centres in the northern hemisphere. Noves had planned to shift the Clermont center to the wing, but his injury has forced the recall of Racing wing Teddy Thomas. Whether Fofana can have the same impact on the wing is unknown, but a player of his caliber will always be missed.

Ireland: Iain Henderson

The worries about replacing Paul O’Connell went out the window with Iain Henderson’s performances at the World Cup. Henderson’s dominant physicality in attack and defence gave Ireland the edge they had been lacking for much of the year, and he had locked down a spot in the starting XV. His great performances continued in the Pro12 with Ulster, until he, like O’Connell, tore his hamstring against Edinburgh. Ireland will need a new physical leader to replace the Ulster man, and their fans will be praying for him to return to his best.

Italy: Josh Furno

Furno made a huge impression in the 2015 6 Nations, with his excellent workrate making him a core part of Italy’s success. He is always willing to make the hit, make the carry, or hit the ruck, and he brought Italy an energy that had been lacking in years past. With his second row partner Quintin Geldenhuys out for the tournament as well, Italy have lost a major punch in the engine room, and these two will be hard to replace.

Scotland: Richie Vernon

Scotland have come into the tournament very healthy, with Vernon the only player set to miss the entire tournament. There are still questions on Mark Bennett and Peter Horne, but they will be back soon enough. Vernon emerged as a quality option for Scotland in the centers at the World Cup, and he was more than likely to be a contributor this season had it not been for his injury. Even still, with most of their players ok, the Scots have gotten off scot free. Jammy bagpipe playing b@stards.

Wales: Rhys Webb

Webb was very much at the heart of Welsh success in 2015. His try scoring exploits were well known, as he seemed to make a habit of getting over the line, before a horrific knee injury against Italy in a World Cup Warm up match ended his season. Webb is a fantastic player, and truly adds an electric presence at the base of the ruck for Ospreys and Wales. Gareth Davies has proven to be a suitable replacement in his absence, but Webb’s x-factor truly made a huge difference for Wales.