Rugby World Cup: Easter to throw battered body back into the fray

Nick Easter. Photo / Getty Images

So Nick Easter, you'll be front and centre in a fierce physical battle with England in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final against France tomorrow night. You know what to expect?

"Yeah, it means getting really sore all the time," the recalled No8 said yesterday. Simply put and seriously simple to appreciate.

Easter, 33 and with 46 caps behind him, played in the opening win over Argentina but a back injury cast serious doubts over his participation in the rest of the tournament.

It may have been picked up while bungy jumping in Queenstown; or it may have happened earlier and been exacerbated by the jump.

"Or it could have been bench pressing 400kg the day after. Make sure you write that down," he quipped.

Whatever, Easter admitted to fears his cup was over. He had a jab, which initially did not produce a notable improvement. But wait, said the medicos. Give it time, and it worked.

Now there is no discomfort and Easter is a happy man. Not that he is rubbishing the idea of jumping off a ledge with a large rubber band strapped around his feet.

"It was close to the best five seconds of my life - and I won't mention what probably were the best," he grinned. "It was a good thrill."

Having 26 minutes off the bench in the win over Scotland last weekend gave coach Martin Johnson the evidence he needed that Easter was up to the job against the French, which was bad news for James Haskell, whom he replaces.

And long term? Might the disc problem recur?

"I've been told my back is in pretty good condition generally, for a rugby player. Not for a normal citizen probably."

Epsom-born Easter, who made his debut in 2007 and plays for Harlequins, believes tomorrow night will be about simple things.

"Mentally making sure you're in the right place, know what our roles are and just got to make sure to do that as best you can," he said. "It's not going to come down to moments of magic or something spectacular. But give France a sniff at any stage and it could have a snowball effect as far as they're concerned."

Easter has seen both sides of the French rugby personality - both the "flat as a pancake" occasions and "the other times you've written them off and they've galvanised as a group and you think 'where does that come from'?

"We'll need our wits about us."