Does the fact that Saints lost Budge, Johan Ackermann, Renaud Peillard, Rob Hunter and Johan Van Wyk to injury in the last 3 years mean that much? Surely it’s just Old Father Time catching up with some fellas who have seen better days, right? Well, maybe but probably not. From the inception of professional rugby in 1995, club owners have been looking to make as much money as humanly possible from their teams - not just to keep clubs afloat but also to bring in top quality players so as to win things.

Nothing wrong with that, right?

Sure, we can accept that. There were not many guys around with enough vision to look at the game 10 years down the line and see players dropping like flies.

Things have grown at a monumental rate in the pro game. Credit where it’s due, quicker than most have imagined.

I live a little town called Trowbridge, its about 12 miles outside Bath and the place is awash with Bath shirts every Saturday. We must be keeping Bath alive on our own. Everyone and their Auntie's got one. Even I've got one. (I'd like to point out that I wear it for training and also, I will freely admit that I want to look ‘down with my homies’) No-one could have that coming 10 years ago. You would see the odd Bath shirt around town, but not as frequently as today. But the game has grown massively, though many may not realize it, the growth has been mainly on the pitch.

The athleticism of the players has progressed far beyond that of their predecessors. We've seen the introduction of fitness programmes and creatine, then there came fitness advisors, to whom Neil Back paid 10 grand of his hard earned sovs to turn him from one of the fittest players in world rugby ( It’s a well known fact that Back sits at home bouncing his kids on his knee, whilst slurping on his Complan and wears leg weights in bed) to one of the fittest players in world rugby but also a stone and a half heavier. This was followed by bigger and better physiotherapy facilities, now it has reached the point that when ever I go to a game at FG or at the wreck, the water boys outnumber the players on the pitch!

OK down to business....

Do you know when ‘Our Kid’ start his fitness programme? The day after the Wuss game. Seem strange?

Well it should. The dedication of the professional players of today’s game is beyond reproach, but the level of expectation is higher than ever before. Dan will do up to 4 sessions a day at the moment and he's not the only one. These guys are living and breathing the sport every single day. It's not a job or a calling, its a responsibility.

Yes these guys are well paid and no-one is holding a gun to their heads, but, and its a big but, the pressure of the job is a massive strain on players bodies, minds and even their souls.

Take for example a week in November. The Saints have just been humbled once again, at home to Worcester. It's Monday morning at 7:05, you are due to report for training and a video review at FG at around 9. You've played six games in a row over the last six weeks, and your body is screaming for a rest. It's not just the games, which are all hard and physical at the highest level. The idea of an easy win should have gone out with dinosaurs, but the gym sessions every week, as well as the beasting that the players will be given for having the audacity to lose, again.

On top of that there’s the normal training seasons, hours of handling drills, scrummaging and lineout work. Would you have trouble pulling yourself out of bed and into the shower? To be honest I would. The thing is this could be any player.

Whether the Management will admit it or not, some players are untouchable. They play every game for a number of reasons. They perform well and raise others around them or they are big names that people simply expect to see on the team sheet. Hey, look, I’m not management and would never wish to be.

I'm sure I wasn’t the only one who blew a sigh of relief when the real team was announced before the Wuss game at the end of last season. We still lost mind. Some players are like a comfort blanket to other players and supporters alike, but the concept of players being able, and capable of a top class

Performance in every single game every single week is rather laughable. You need only look at the tape of the team’s performance against Leeds in the Powergen cup quarter final to see a harsh reminder.

Wally has played 31 times for the saints over the last two seasons, but has also played 16 games for England thats 47 games over two seasons. doesnt seem much does it? Take into account the Lions tour and you can add another 6 or 7 appearances bringing it nearer to 55. Looking back at the statements made by some regulars on the saints and sinners board over the course of the disastrous Lions tour many folks, myself included, felt that Wally looked spent. You'd have to ask him yourself, but halfway through his eleven week break you have to agree that Wally has fully earned a break after almost 24 months of nonstop rugby from the world cup through to the Lions tour.

The answer? Well I wish I had one.

Dr John Brookes of Bedford Blues wrote in his recent England Rugby Board Reviews Injury Audit....

“Over 2,000 injuries at Premiership clubs were recorded: this equated to an

average of 92 injuries per team per season. 263 injuries causing 5,161 days absence were also sustained while playing and training for England international teams (England, A, U21 and 7s).

The chance of sustaining an injury in a club match was 12.5% (1 in 8

chance), with an average 18 days absence. The incidence of injury in

international matches was higher at 29% (1 in 4) with an average 14 days

absence but this included a higher proportion of injuries resulting in less

than 72 hours absence (34% compared with 23%). Furthermore, the number of match injuries sustained causing a subsequent match to be missed was similar during club (0.8 per match) and international (1.1) matches.

On average, 9 out of 38 players at every club required treatment and

rehabilitation each day for the injuries reported. In addition, there would

have been players who required treatment and rehabilitation for injuries

that did not prevent their playing or training and were therefore not

reported in the audit.

On average, each player spent 19% of the calendar year injured.

72% of match injuries occurred in contact, 51% of them in the tackle

situation.

A disproportionate number of injuries occurred in the final quarter of a

match and during this period the incidence of injury was higher for players

starting a match than for replacement players.

50% of injuries were not considered at the time of injury to be severe

enough for the players to be removed from the field of play and these

injuries were typically the least severe (12 days).

Those injured players who were removed from play immediately following

injury (25%) were suffering injuries that were of greater average severity

(32 days).

24% of injuries were sustained during training (rugby: 68%; conditioning:

32%). Overall, training injuries were significantly more severe (24 days)

than injuries sustained during competition (18 days)”

It doesn't make for good reading does it?

At the end of the day some Saints such as Bruce, Los and Foxy will be expected to play week in and week out this forthcoming season. That’s 22 games in the GP, the possibility of up to 12 games in the Parker Pen thingy, as well as the new truncated Powergen cup, which has suddenly become a massive tournament with no easy games whatsoever. Do you that’s strange? - Because just like the players, last year it was dying on its 'arris......

Rob Richmond