10 Rugby Players Who Went Backwards In 2017

Maro Itoje and Owen Farrell consolidated themselves as two of the best (if not the best) in the world, while George Ford and Jonny May have gained an entirely new lease of life since joining Leicester Tigers.

It wasn’t a banner year for everyone, however, with rugby calendar being such a long year that goes without saying.

Therefore, some fantastically talented performers ending the year in a far worse position than how they started it.

For some injury was to blame while others were let down by poor performances and bad discipline.

After a turbulent year, the winger was dropped by club and country in November before heading north to Join Sale Sharks with immediate effect. Yarde is now trying to get his career back on track but it's fair to say 2017 has been a step backwards for the 25-year-old.

The time last year the Scotland tighthead was favourite to scrum down for the British & Irish Lions, however, his 2017 has been marred by injury. The 31-year-old missed the 2016 Autumn Internationals and the entire 2017 Six Nations due to a neck injury. The prop is now set to miss the entire 2017 with a fractured arm, meaning his place in future squads could be under threat.

Being nominated for World Player of the year as well as winning try of the year, made 2016 an epic year for the powerhouse Irishman. Therefore, missing the British & Irish Lions tour and making just four appearances for Ireland this year could suggest the 33-year-old legend is now on the decline.

The powerhouse centre was in the 2016 Team of the Six Nations, but has seen his stock significantly fall this year. Now seemingly out of Warren Gatland's Wales plans going forward and his club form up and down, Roberts is approaching a crossroads in his career, especially since his contract is up at Harlequins at the end of the season.

One of the poster boys of the British & Irish Lions, the winger failed to make an impact in New Zealand before being sent home with an injury. There's no doubt of North's ability, but following a stellar 2016, this year was a bit of a disappointment. Hopefully heading home to Wales will kickstart the 25-year-old's careers.

Leicester’s lovable in-house rogue has had more scrapes than a Scandinavian windscreen, but such is his ferocious, game-breaking power, that he has suffered another year of injuries, meaning he's not played for England now since the 2016 Six Nations. He was also, when fit, sent home from a training camp for drinking. He had nothing to shout about at all in 2017.

Injuries have stopped our favourite flanker getting to his best, and despite touring with the British & Irish Lions, we've not seen the best of Haskell at any point in 2017. For now he's out of the England reckoning but hopefully, we will see the big man back to his rampaging best in 2017.

The flanker was a standout star for Scotland during the 2016 Six Nations and he was decent again this year. However, he was suspended for three months "Gross Misconduct" by Edinburgh Rugby for cocaine use in October.

The year saw the prop slip down the pecking order with Ireland as Joe Schmidt preferred Cian Healy and David Kilkoyne during the Autumn Internationals. It was a major surprise that McGrath was demoted from shadow British and Irish Lions prop to bit-runner.

Winning five England caps in 2016, the back-rower has found himself outside of the squad for the entirety of this year, struggling to recapture his best form.