Greening future looks grim
England are in danger of losing their fifth world-beater in the four months since Sydney - Wasps hooker Phil Greening.
Unlike Martin Johnson, Kyran Bracken, Jason Leonard and Neil Back, who all opted for international retirement after long Test careers, Greening fears he will be forced to quit at 28 because of a foot injury.
He has broken both the seismoid bones on the ball of his left foot - the same injury that ended Gary Lineker's football career.
'I am pretty worried that I could be finished,' Greening said.
'Not many come back from this kind of problem.' Greening, who has a string of global titles on the World Sevens circuit to add to his 24 England caps, had planned to play his way back into contention for the summer tour to Australasia and bolster the depleted hooker resources behind Steve Thompson.
Instead he faces the grim reality of not being able to play again. As England take stock of their worst Five-Six Nations season for 11 years, his plight coincides with their increasing concern at the shortage of alternative hookers good enough to stay the course for the next World Cup in September 2007.
Mark Regan, the current No 2, is 33 and Dorian West, the third hooker at the last tournament, will be 37 this year.
Greening suffered the injury against Leicester last November and has not played since Wasps' European Cup victory against Celtic Warriors at Bridgend in mid-January.
