Stars of the Rugby World Cup | Wonder wing Penaud ‘most exciting player in world’

In the history of the Rugby World Cup no player has scored more than eight tries in a tournament. The late Jonah Lomu was the first man to hit that mark in 1999, Bryan Habana repeated the feat in 2007 and Julian Savea also tied the record in 2015.

Enter try-scoring sensation Damian Penaud, the man capable of breaking the long-standing record. Penaud has scored 31 tries for France in a career that continues to gain traction. The Brive-born man, who stands 1.88m and tips the scales at 98kg, came through age-grade level and has followed his father Alain in playing for Les Bleus.

Having played at outside centre for the French U-20 team, Penaud has been a mainstay on the wing for France since his debut in 2017. His ability to beat players one-on-one is second to none due to his scintillating pace and forceful handoff.

The sight of him breaking free from defenders and crossing the line is one the partisan French public have become accustomed to. While he failed to score a five-pointer at Japan 2019, he has matured as a player and odds are he’ll be a big presence at his home tournament. Habana has described Penaud as “the most exciting player in the world”, which is some endorsement from the ex-wing who set the 2007 World Cup alight.

As a member of the 2022 Six Nations Grand Slam-winning team, Penaud has become an indispensable figure for France. He has developed as a player since making his international bow as a 22-year-old and, aside from talismanic captain Antoine Dupont, Penaud will be the face of the host's campaign as they go in search of their maiden title.

France, who are drawn in pool A, kick off the tournament in a blockbuster fixture against the All Blacks at Stade de France in Paris on Friday and will also face challenges against Italy, Namibia and Uruguay.

Club: Bordeaux Begles

Previous club: Clermont

National caps: 45 (155)

Previous World Cup appearances: 2019 — 3 matches, 3 starts, 0 tries

International honours: 2022 Six Nations champion

Club honours: Top 14 champions (2017), European Rugby Challenge Cup (2019)

* The 2023 Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday with the final on October 28. TimesLIVE has been profiling all four of the pools and the star players.

TIMESLIVE WORLD CUP BUILD-UP PROFILES

Pools:

Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D

Star players:

Canan Moodie, South Africa | Selestino Ravutaumada, Fiji | Ardie Savea, New Zealand | Will Skelton, Australia | Johnny Sexton, Ireland | Antoine Dupont, France 

All the World Cup pools and fixtures here