THE TOP WORLD XV MISSING OUT ON JAPAN
BIT by bit, the final World Cup squads are starting to take shape. While Wales name their final squad in early September, some countries – like England, France and Fiji – have already named their 31 players, while others are trimming away.
Argentina became the latest to announce their final group this week, with the overseas-based trio of Santiago Cordero, Facundo Isa and Juan Imhoff all somewhat surprisingly omitted.
They join a lengthy list of star names deemed surplus to requirement by their countries.
Rugby correspondent SIMON THOMAS has looked at the axed men and come up with a team of omitted players – and it’s not too shabby!
15. Mike Brown (England)
THE Harlequins full-back is not everyone’s cup of tea and he’s been a bit of a pantomime villain for Welsh fans over the years.
But there’s no doubting his contribution to the successes England have achieved of late, being an ever-present during the Six Nations title triumphs of 2016 and 2017.
Now, though, with his 34th birthday coming up next month, the 72-cap Brown has missed out, as Elliot Daly, Anthony Watson, Jack Nowell and the uncapped Ruaridh McConnochie are preferred as Eddie Jones’ options at 15.
14. Waisake Naholo (New Zealand)
NOT so long ago, the Fijian-born Naholo was one of the poster boys of New Zealand rugby, with All Blacks fans chanting his name during the 2017 Lions tour.
But now the Highlanders flier, who has scored 16 tries in 26 Tests, has been dropped amid patchy form, effectively ending his international career, with a move to London Irish lying ahead later this year.
Fellow winger Teddy Thomas has been just as big a name in French rugby, but he too has failed to make the World Cup cut.
13. Mathieu Bastareaud (France)
IT’S been a pretty eventful international journey for the bulldozing 54-cap centre, but now it’s over.
He was vice-captain during this year’s Six Nations campaign, but didn’t feature in the 31-man squad selected by Jacques Brunel and Fabien Galthie and wasn’t even among the six stand-by players.
His response was to take to Instagram and announce his retirement from Test rugby.
It’s all change for him now, with a loan-move to Lyon seeing him switch to No.8, while he will be heading to New York to play Major League Rugby in 2020.
12. Ben Te’o (England)
THE Lions Test centre was the highest profile omission from England’s 31-man squad for Japan after a second breach of discipline in recent months.
Having had to apologise to teammates following a late-night drinking session at the end of the Six Nations, he was then involved in an altercation with Mike Brown during a social event at the squad’s training camp in Treviso earlier this month.
So that was that for the Kiwi-born 32-year-old, with Piers Francis the man to benefit from his absence.
A mention for Stuart McCloskey, who is unfortunate to miss out with Ireland after seasons of consistent gain-line busting for Ulster.
11. Santiago Cordero (Argentina)
THE fleet-footed Cordero was one of the stars of the 2015 World Cup and has lit up the English Premiership for Exeter with his pace and side-stepping skills.
So how could Argentina leave him out? And yet they have.
Why? Well, their policy is only to go to for overseasbased players when they are notably better than Jaguares and coach Mario Ledesma clearly feels neither Cordero nor Racing 92’s Juan Imhoff fit that bill, with Moyano, Delguy, Carreras, Boffelli and Tuculet the back-five men prefered.
It’s clearly the coach’s call, but, to me, it’s a huge shame that Cordero’s mesmeric running won’t be on show in Japan.
10. Danny Cipriani (England)
YOU can now add the name of Danny Cipriani to that of Gavin Henson in the list of huge talents who will end their careers without having played in a World Cup.
The Gloucester fly-half was voted Premiership player of the season in May, but his face just never seems to have really fitted with Eddie Jones.
He has been handed only two appearances during the Aussie’s four-year tenure and he didn’t even make the extended 38-man squad for the training camp in Italy.
So he is consigned to the role of a spectator, along with another maverick magician who has been overlooked, in the shape of Wallabies star Quade Cooper.
9. Morgan Parra (France)
THE 71-cap Parra is one of a number of quality scrum-halves who won’t be on show in the Far East, with the French coaches opting for youth over his experience.
There’s even more Test mileage dispensed with, as Danny Care misses out on a chance to add to his 84 caps, with England going with just two No.9s.
The theme continues with the 71-cap Nick Phipps omitted by Australia and the seasoned Henry Pyrgos left out by Scotland, while Ireland’s decision to cut the versatile John Cooney was something of a surprise
1. Ben Moon (England)
EXETER’S Moon started for England as recently as their final match of this year’s Six Nations against Scotland.
But when it came to choosing the three looseheads for Japan, it was Joe Marler that was preferred to join Mako Vunipola and Ellis Genge, having made himself available again after just under a year in international retirement.
Elsewhere, Lizo Gqoboka looks to be surplus to requirement for the Springboks having been released to play Currie Cup for his province.
2. Dylan Hartley (England)
THE former England captain was always up against it, having not played since last December due to a persistent knee issue.
He had been hoping to be fit and available for this month’s warm-up games, but it never got to the point where he was included in the England training group, with time just running out for him.
Two other veteran Test hookers who will be absent from the global jamboree are 89-cap Aussie Tatafu Polota-Nau and 2007 Springboks World Cup winner Bismark du Plessis.
3. Uini Atonio (French)
AT 23st 13lbs, the La Rochelle tighthead is one of the biggest men in world rugby and would have fitted in well in the land of the sumo wrestler.
But he won’t be tipping the scales in Japan, having been weighed out of the equation by Les Bleus.
The unfortunate Harry Williams joins fellow Exeter prop Moon in missing out, with England only taking two specialist tight-heads in Kyle Sinckler and Dan Cole, while Finlay Bealham and Thomas du Toit are casualties of the cut with Ireland and South Africa.
4. Quinn Roux (Ireland)
ROUX played in the Grand Slam game against Wales as recently as March, but he has slipped down Ireland’s pecking order, with another South African-born lock Jean Kleyn having leapt above him after qualifying on residency, with James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Devin Toner and Ultan Dillane also in the mix in a hugely competitive position.
It’s worth mentioning the slightly different case of Will Skelton too. Wallaby coach Michael Cheika would love to have the 6ft 8ins, 21st 4lbs giant on board and hasn’t given up hope.
But Saracens lock Skelton would only be eligible if he pledges to return to Australia to play Super Rugby following next season’s Premiership campaign, like Exeterbased scrum-half Nic White, and that seems unlikely. 5. Richie Gray (Scotland)
THE man who turns 30 next month still has a lot to offer on the rugby field.
He proved as much by to helping Toulouse win the French Top 14 title last season.
He’s 6ft 10in, an out-and-out athlete and a Lions Test lock with 65 caps of experience to his name.
But he doesn’t feature in the 40-man training squad named by Scotland coach Gregor Townsend earlier this month, so won’t be joining brother Jonny in Japan.
6. Dan Lydiate (Wales)
IT’S been a frustrating few years for the man who reintroduced the chop tackle to the game at the 2011 World Cup and went on to be a regular starter for Wales for some four or five years before being derailed by a succession of injuries.
He looked to be back on track when he started the first two games of last season’s autumn internationals and showed up well, only for a damaged elbow to leave him sidelined once again for the next five months.
While he returned for the final weeks of the season, he wasn’t able to force his way into the reckoning once more, with the back row such a competitive area.
8. Facundo Isa (Argentina)
THE omission of Toulon powerhouse Isa is baffling in the extreme, especially when you consider the 36-year-old Juan Manuel Leguizamon has been included.
Coach Mario Ledesma’s thinking seems to be that Isa wouldn’t make the
23 for the crucial group games against England and France, with Javier Ortega Desio the starting No.8 and either Rodrigo Bruni or Tomas Lezana providing the back-row bench cover. But it does seem an odd one to me.
As for other excluded No.8s, Nathan Hughes is probably the most notable, having played 10 Tests for England in the last 18 months.
7. Chris Robshaw (England)
AFTER the way the last World Cup went for him, the former England captain would have loved the opportunity to set the record straight.
And few players have been more wholehearted or committed performers on the international stage in recent times.
But now into his 34th year, he has slipped out of the reckoning with England, amid the emergence of youngsters Tom Curry, Sam Underhill and Lewis Ludlam, plus the late blossoming of Mark Wilson.
On the Wales front, there will be many sad to see Thomas Young overlooked, with his consistent performances for Wasps not enough to earn him the call, with an untimely foot injury not having helped his cause.