5 star rugby players who will miss the Autumn Nations Series

Monday, 18 October 2021 at 15:49

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byRugby Rucker

Europe is the place to be this Autumn with the highly anticipated Autumn Nations Series to commence this October and November all over the continent.

Some of the beautiful game’s biggest stars will be playing at the series to prove their mettle and earn accolades and glory for their national team.

Below, RUCK takes a look at all those who are set to miss the opportunity of donning their national colours during the Autumn Nations Series due to injury.

#1. Josh Navidi

Age: 30
Position: Flanker
Honours: Wales, 28 caps

The flanker is set to miss the entire Autumn Nations Series and Six Nations because of the shoulder injury he sustained while playing for Cardiff. Navidi dislocated a shoulder in the United Rugby Championship match with the Bulls on October 9. He has undergone surgery and a report in The Rugby Paper suggests the 30-year-old will be sidelined for at least six months.

DID YOU KNOW? His Dad was a freestyle wrestler and a pretty good one

#2. Faf de Klerk

Age: 29
Position: Scrum-half
Honours: South Africa, 36 caps

He is facing five months out injured in a crushing blow to South Africa and his Premiership club Sale Sharks. The Mail Online has reported that the blow is so severe that de Klerk 'requires surgery and will not only miss South Africa’s autumn Tests but may be out of domestic games for Sale until March next year'.

DID YOU KNOW? Despite being better known as Faf, his full name is actually Francois de Klerk.

#3. Jack Willis

Age: 24
Position: Flanker
Honours: England, 3 caps

international cap against Italy at Twickenham Stadium. The back-rower is expected to return to action for Wasps around Christmas time and could return for the 2022 Six Nations.

“It is always a bumpy road being injured and a pretty frustrating one, to say the least, but I’ve had a pretty good few months building the knee strength up,” Willis said.

“There have been a few bumps in the road that always cause a little bit of a delay, but at the end of the day it all gets swallowed up, come the end. As long as the knee is right, that is the priority.

“It is not so much getting fixated on timelines – the priority has got to be is the knee ready to go? It is about the longevity and long-term health of the knee.

“These things change all the time. You get a little bump in the road and it sets you back a couple of weeks, or if things are going really well you can bring it forward.

“Mentally, I find it tougher if I fixate too much on dates and things. It just becomes a little bit overbearing.”

DID YOU KNOW? Willis played junior rugby for Reading Abbey R.F.C. before joining the Wasps Senior Academy in 2015

#4. Liam Williams

Age: 30
Position: Flanker
Honours: Wales, 28 caps

The two-time Lions full-back has emerged as an injury doubt for Wales’ clash against the All Blacks on October 30 after having his appendix removed. Williams could yet feature in the later autumn fixtures but will not have played a game since he featured for the Lions against South Africa on August 7.

#5. Pieter Steph du-Toit

Age: 29
Position: Flanker
Honours: South Africa, 58 caps

The Springbok flanker will be out of action for a lengthy period after undergoing surgery on his injured shoulder, according to head coach Jacques Nienaber. Du Toit was forced off during South Africa’s dominant 27-9 triumph over the British and Irish Lions in the second Test following a tackle by the tourists’ Duhan van der Merwe.

DID YOU KNOW? He was awarded the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year following the Springboks World Cup triumph