As the end of season tours fastly approach, an ill-fortuned group of key players must come to terms with the prospect of watching their team-mates from the sidelines.
Other players will take some time off to recover ahead of the Rugby World Cup next year.
In light of this, here we propose our own Summer Tours’ ‘absent XV’:
Fullback: JARED PAYNE (Ireland)
The versatile Ireland international has not played since suffering migraine symptoms while on tour with the Lions in New Zealand. He now looks likely to also miss Ireland’s summer tour to Australia.
Winger: VIRIMI VAKATAWA (France)
The powerful winger is facing groin surgery in June and will therefore miss les Bleus tour to New Zealand.
Centre: JONATHAN JOSEPH (England)
He will miss England’s end-of-season tour to South Africa as a result of the ankle injury he suffered during Bath’s 41-6 defeat at Saracens.
Centre: JONATHAN DAVIES (Wales)
The 29-year-old British and Irish Lions back was injured for six months with a foot injury in the closing stages of Wales’ 29-21 loss to Australia in the Autumn. It’s thought despite missing the Six Nations, he’ll also be able to sit out the summer tour to recover.
Winger: ANTHONY WATSON (England)
The Bath Rugby and England full-back was injured after being tackled in the first half of England’s 24-15 Six Nations defeat to Ireland at Twickenham, suffering a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.