Romain Ntamack ruled out of Rugby World Cup - report
France's Romain Ntamack has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup due to a knee injury suffered during a match against Scotland. L'Equipe reports that Ntamack sustained an ACL injury in their narrow victory over Scotland in St Etienne over the weekend.
While head coach Fabien Galthie initially described it as a hyperextension, the renowned French sporting outlet are now reporting it was an ACL and he will miss the entire tournament.
The incident unfolded as Ntamack attempted to tackle Scotland's Finn Russell before getting his boot caught in the turf. Medical personnel provided immediate assistance on the field, and Ntamack had to be helped off, displaying evident distress from the suspected knee injury.
Ntamack's partnership with Antoine Dupont at Toulouse has been a linchpin for both club and country, contributing to a Grand Slam win in 2022 and leading France to a notable 14-game victory streak. The untimely loss of such a pivotal player presents a considerable setback for the host nation, particularly given their formidable lineup in the warm-up match against Scotland.
France do have the luxury of Matthieu Jalibert as a replacement, yet even with this proviso, the loss of the Toulouse star is seismic.
As the Rugby World Cup approaches, France must negotiate two more warm-up fixtures against Fiji and Australia before their opening game against the All Blacks on September 8. Ntamack's unavailability casts a shadow over their preparations.
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Free to air is the key to fan expansion. I attended last weeks game at Suncorp (Reds v Blues) and the total cost is prohibitive to most people that wish to attend. Two tickets $130, parking (event day gouging) $75, road tolls $20, dinner beforehand $130, plus some petrol and a beer inside the stadium and a single game starts to cost $300-400. Who can afford that week in week out, I’d love to go more but could only afford this one game to see the Blues, I’d have loved to have seen more NZ teams here but I’d need to stop eating or sell a kidney.
Go to commentsBrumbies are looking good and if they keep their home form up a final is not beyond the realms of possibility. They showed against the Hurricanes exactly how clinical they can be as they absorbed pressure in that contest while also scoring points and applying their own pressure. Reds are well placed as well but need to find consistency. They are building a longer term project with a young side and plenty of quality players. Been surprising to see the strength of Aussie sides this year after the debacle of the world cup. Have NZ sides gotten weaker? Have Aussie sides gotten stronger? A bit of both I would say. Whatever the case its good to see some actual competition between NZ and Aus sides again and thats exactly what the fans wanted and is probably driving better viewership numbers. All of this can only be healthy for Aus and Super Rugby and I hope the Brumbies go all the way.
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