Sport

Loss of Ntamack means one fewer star in thin firmament of Rugby World Cup

The injured French out-half was an instantly recognisable, overwhelmingly admired player in a game that desperately needs them

France's fly-half Romain Ntamack, who was injured last weekend, is young, handsome and charismatic and has over half a million followers across his social media platforms. Picture: Getty

The injury to French out-half Romain Ntamack last weekend was a blow the Rugby World Cup really could have done without. In a sport that struggles to create truly transcendent stars, Ntamack represented a PR dream.

He’s young, handsome, charismatic, has over half a million followers across his social media platforms and was set to shine for the tournament hosts.

A healthy Ntamack would have been arguably the best player on the best team. His ...