#2. Matthew Tait (England)
Making his debut against Wales, the then-18-year-old was repeatedly dumped by Welsh centre Gavin Henson. That day would set back Tait’s development significantly, but he still played in the Rugby World Cup in 2007.
After a quiet tournament, Tait lit up the final against South Africa with a dashing break that led to Mark Cueto’s infamously disallowed try.
But if Tait’s footwork in the final demonstrated his talent, he was never able to demonstrate that consistently on the biggest stage.
Shifts from outside centre, to wing and then to full-back stunted his progress and were indicative of a possible star whose versatility worked against him ultimately. He retired in 2018.