International / Ralph Ellis / 21 October 2009 / Leave a comment

With England facing a front row injury crisis, Ralph Ellis takes a look at the current epidemic of injuries within the game.

"Johnson’s side are marginal favourites for their first game against Australia in two weeks time in a market that’s only just forming. If you can lay them at anywhere near evens that must be a sound bet."

I once went on a night out with Joel Garner, the Somerset and West Indies fast bowling legend of the 1970s who, not for nothing, was nicknamed Big Bird. I'm not short at nearly six feet, but he was eight inches taller and in a crowded bar you had to crane your neck to have even half a chance of hearing what he said.

It wasn't too different a couple of weeks ago when I was chatting with Sale captain Dean Schofield, a comparative titch at six feet five, to do Betfair's Big Interview. In fact that was a Big interview in every sense of the word!

We spoke in a room full of other top rugby players at an event put on to promote the Heineken Cup, and looking around it struck me just how much the sport has become the land of the giants. Schofield, weighing in at around 19stone but with hardly an ounce of body fat, was not remotely the most physically imposing figure there. The top players are getting taller, stronger, more muscled, fitter, and faster. And when you watch the games in either the Guinness Premiership or Europe the hits are becoming more ferocious almost by the week.

Throw in the intensity and over crowding of the fixture list, and it's hardly surprising that the list of injuries is growing rapidly. In the last two days we've heard that Andrew Sheridan will miss all the Autumn internationals and quite probably the Six Nations in the Spring as well after dislocating a shoulder. Yesterday it was Phil Vickery who was sidelined from Martin Johnson's plans after learning he'll need more spinal surgery.

England's list of those injured in action already includes the likes of Delon Armitage, the London Irish full back who made such an explosive impact on the team last season. Lions hooker Lee Mears is out, and so are Tom Rees, Toby Flood, and Riki Flutey. There are more short term casualties, and doubtless more to be added to the list. Vickery is one of 22 players in all from the 64 in Johnson's Elite Squad and Saxons squad who are currently sidelined.

The Lions team doctor James Robson is currently researching the dangers of playing the professional game. He says: "We are reaching a level where the players have got too big for their skill levels."

Meanwhile the problems will be bound to reflect on England's performances in the Autumn internationals. Johnson's side are marginal favourites for their first game against Australia in two weeks time in a market that's only just forming. If you can lay them at anywhere near evens that must be a sound bet.

Five things you might not know about Delon Armitage

1. Born in San Fernando, Trinidad, in 1983, as Delon Williams, his Mum Verna moved to England when he was little.

2. She returned to the West Indies for a holiday at the carnival a few years later, met and fell for John Armitage, who became stepdad to Delon and brothers Bevon and Steffon.

3. When they moved back to England it was John who encouraged the boys to play rugby. Steffon, of course, now plays for England too, while Bevon appeared for Doncaster Knights in National League One last season. There are more brothers to come, though. Guy plays for England Under 16s and Joel is highly thought of in the Under 13 age group

4. When Delon was aged 12 the family moved again, to the French Riviera, and he went on playing in Nice. He qualified for France under residential rules, but their Under 16s eventually rejected him because he was "too tall and skinny"

5. He was so nervous on the morning of his England debut against the Pacific Islands this time last year that he was physically sick.

Tags: Andrew Sheridan, Autumn internationals, Dean Schofield, Delon Armitage, Guinness Premiership, Heineken Cup, James Robson., Martin Johnsonm, Six Nations