Join us as we dive into the top five disappointments of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. While a few might have a shot at redemption, others are already packing their bags to bid farewell.
#1. Carter Gordon (Australia)
His journey into the world of Test rugby hasn't exactly been a smooth ride. After doing alright against Georgia, he had an absolute shocker of a night in Saint-Etienne when facing Fiji. This young Wallaby got clobbered with a monster tackle right out of the gate, and trust us, things didn't exactly take a turn for the better after that. To add insult to injury, he didn't even get a shot in the game against Wales.
#2. Ben Lam (Samoa)
The captain of Samoa had a tough time finding his form. In the game against Argentina, he managed to make just one play with the ball in each half as they ended up losing. Things went from bad to worse when he was shown a red card in their crucial tournament-deciding match against Japan for a reckless high tackle.
#3. Billy Vunipola (England)
Making his first start since the infamous Dublin red card against Ireland last month, Vunipola's recent performances have raised concerns about his form, with many describing him as appearing fatigued. This trend continued in the match against Chile last weekend, where he left the field in the 67th minute. To top it off, he even got sent flying backward by Augusto Bohme.
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#4. Vaea Fifita (Tonga)
Came into the match against Scotland with a big reputation after a solid outing against Ireland but could not replicate that performance. Was anonymous on attack and finished with seven tackles made before being yellow carded for an illegal hit on Finn Russell which was later upgraded to red.
#5. Tom Curry (England)
Curry's September World Cup tale revolves around that one red-carded tackle. Now, he's up against Samoa with absolutely everything on the line. He's dead set on proving that he's the go-to guy for the upcoming quarter-finals. I mean, when you think about how sorely he was missed during his injury downtime, his comeback can only be described as a real letdown.