Peter Bills: England's Long Injury List Is More Than Just A Case Of Bad Luck
The rate of attrition among England’s young rugby players is no coincidence, and some serious questions need to be asked, writes Peter Bills.
As England prepare for their autumn international programme against the southern hemisphere nations (New Zealand excepted) selection has once again become problematic. So many injuries have overtaken so many England players that whatever the final 15 chosen, it is inevitable that the squad will be seven or eight players short of its best.
In other words, we shall be watching matches devalued before they even begin.
The reason for this is twofold. Professional rugby union has become a massively physical sport. Imposing size is no defence whatsoever against the ravages of injuries. Large forwards and smaller backs alike are carried off to the hospital casualty wards with disturbing frequency.
Some weeks ago when England held what coach Eddie Jones warned would be a very physical training programme over two days, flank forward Sam Jones broke a leg attempting a judo manoeuvre. The Wasps flanker had been pencilled in to start against South Africa at Twickenham on November 12 because three other possibilities for the open-side berth, James Haskell, Jack Clifford and Mike Williams were already injured.
This week’s medical bulletin tells us that England will not only be missing four first choice flankers, but also both Saracens and England locks – George Kruis, who has had an operation on a damaged ankle, and Maro Itoje, who fractured his hand last week representing his club – will now miss the whole autumn programme. Another Saracens and England player Owen Farrell has only just started the season after not playing since June due to a back injury.
Also missing will be back-up hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie who has recently undergone ankle surgery.
Both first choice England wings from the June tour to Australia, Anthony Watson and Jack Nowell, also have serious long-term injuries and will miss all the autumn Tests. Meanwhile, England captain Dylan Hartley has been sidelined for the last six weeks and is battling to be match fit for the Test programme.
There are others, but you get the point.
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Is it not possible that the second reason for this calamity is overwork? Players admit it sometimes takes them until Tuesday or Wednesday to get over the previous weekend’s battles. Then they face a physical training session and start the countdown to another excessively physical match.
It is true that medical science and therefore preparation has come on in leaps and bounds in modern times. But there is a major snag. The human body remains what it has always been. No-one has yet reinvented any part of it. Which means that despite players being physically bigger, tougher and supposedly better prepared for an 80 minute pounding of their bodies, they cannot avoid one simple fact.
If you subject the human body to such excessive physical punishment, it will break down. There will be a price to pay.
We are seeing the consequences of this overt physicality at all levels of the game, not just in the professional world. Players at junior club level hurtle into one another with a complete disregard for physical safety that is often alarming. And at that level, there are no medical experts on the touchline waiting to administer to a player with a serious injury. Somehow, he has to get on with it which means hobbling back to the clubhouse, icing and then strapping the injury, seeing his doctor the following week (if he’s lucky) and then waiting weeks to see a specialist. By which stage, a lot of damage has been done.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the cash-rich Rugby Football Union (RFU) set up a medical programme by which players at ANY level could be fast-tracked towards proper, professional medical attention within a few days of being injured? The current set-up in amateur rugby is a joke when Twickenham, which purports to represent the whole game in England, announces profits running into tens of millions of pounds.
Of course, none of this will injure the sacred cow, ticket sales, ahead of the autumn internationals. Someone will wear the jersey and all the seats will be sold, as usual.
But aren’t we selling two sets of people short here, the players and spectators? The first group had better have wonderful medical insurance for later life. Would you want to have their bodies when they’re 50 or 60 with their wrecked hips, knee joints and arthritis? Then there is the frightening element of concussion with its long term effects.
As for the spectators, we routinely watch inferior teams because of all the injuries. But does anyone care about any of this in the dash for cash?
Comments on RugbyPass
No Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
18 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to comments