Billy Vunipola’s Rugby World Cup dreams have been dashed as his season comes to an abrupt end due to a knee injury that requires surgery.
The Saracens No 8 sustained the injury while carrying the ball during his club’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final match against La Rochelle in France on Sunday.
After being carried off the field on crutches, Vunipola underwent a scan which confirmed the severity of the injury. Saracens have announced that the 30-year-old will be sidelined for the rest of the 2022-23 season, leaving his World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.
The younger Vunipola brother’s absence will be a significant blow to both Saracens and England as they will have to navigate the remainder of their campaigns without his formidable presence on the field.
The loss of Vunipola’s powerful ball-carrying and dynamic play will be keenly felt, and his road to recovery will be closely watched by rugby fans and pundits alike as he works towards regaining his fitness and form.
Three England players who are blacklisted by Steve Borthwick – and why
Steve Borthwick has been brutal In his short time in charge of England, dropping a number of major stars ahead of the 2023 Six Nations.
Below, we look at three established stars who are unlikely to win another cap.
#1. Joe Marler
Age: 32
Position: Loosehead-prop
Caps: 83
Marler is unlikely to return to the England team during the 2023 Six Nations after he breached one of Steve Borthwick’s main rules.
The new England boss has a “no sh**talking policy” with England, whereby he expects players to behave appropriately on the pitch.
As a result, Marler was left out of the Six Nations squad despite his fine form with Harlequins this season.
Marler’s latest ban was for six weeks – four of them suspended – after accepting a charge regarding comments made to Bristol flanker Jake Heenan about his mother.
At this stage, an international return looks very unlikely.
DID YOU KNOW? Marler started his career at Haywards Heath RFC in Sussex where he played in the same side as fellow England international Billy Twelvetrees