Matt Stevens' career lies in tatters today after being hit with a two-year ban for failing a drugs test but I can't help but feel sorry for the guy.

He has been harshly treated by European Rugby chiefs, and the International Rugby Board for it is they who lay down the law, for what we assume is a cocaine problem after metabolites - whatever they are - were found in his sample. Yes - he is guilty of breaking the rules, not to mention the law, by dallying with the drug to the extent he has a serious problem. Yes - he is stupid for playing with fire and deserves a ban - but two years? Come on!

He wasn't injecting HGH in order to bulk up and claim a physical advantage, or cheat, as we have seen in other sports. And to my knowledge he wasn't indulging in his dangeorus habit before running out at The Rec. A professional sportsman with money and time to burn - he succumbed to a social drug that is prevalent in today's society. He lacked a guiding light just when he needed it most.

And as for barring him from the sport completely to the degree he cannot associate with the game he loves in any capacity - how does that ring true with the promises of support from the RFU down? As many of our readers have pointed out, banning him does not help him or the sport. He should get treatment for his problem and then be put to work in an educational role - touring clubs and schools talking about how he went wrong and the dangers that others can be wary of.

The IRB's decision to jump into bed with anti-doping body WADA was seen as a good move but they left themselves no leeway in such issues as this. Surely time for a re-think? I'm not talking a de-classificiation, just a little common sense when it comes to handing down suspensions.

And are the sport guilty of some crazy double standards? Numerous alcohol-related misdemeanors, including some violent acts, appear to be punished with meagre fines and a slap on the wrist - who has Stevens damaged except himself?

Stevens is probably not the only player dicing with career suicide, being tempted by such vices, including alcohol, and the powers that be need to realise that. And this is not just an elite problem - they cannot turn their backs on such players or the threat of social drugs on their sport.

Best wishes Matt, and you're welcome at our 'club' anytime.

The weekend has already started for legions of Wales fans if the splashes of red throughout St Pancras International railway station are anything to go by. It appears many fans are embracing the latest Six Nations innovation - Friday night matches.

Phones must be ringing in offices throughout the principality with fans offering their best excuses for skipping work having scoured Dorland's Medical Dictionary for a suitable, but not too serious ailment - whether they can muffle the sound of tannoy announcements in the background is another task altogether.

With a 9pm kick off for tonight's game these fans are making an early break for the continent - I jus thope they have the stamina and the capacity for the amount of continental lager that they are set to consume.

Love the idea or loathe it - I think Friday night action is here to stay, such is the power of TV and other commercial interests. The controversy will soon be forgotten - remember the fuss over Sunday games? The game will still be a sell-out no doubt and new memories and traditions will begin tonight.

Surely Six Nations matches are an event worthy of their own day? Imagine a game on a Friday, one on Saturday then the final one on Sunday? Sound good? 'Super Saturdays' are great for the armchair fans but murder for those trying to cover it all or those attending one an unable to see the others. But they do have their appeal as a grand finale.

Rugby's push to get back into the Olympics is gathering momentum and time is running out for you to play play your part!

The International Rugby Board is asking the global Rugby community to support its campaign for re-inclusion (in the 7s format) in the Olympic Games by participating in the IOC's Virtual Olympic Congress before February 28. The forum provides an opportunity for the general public around the world to provide feedback as the organisation progresses its plans for the future of the Olympic Games. Now admittedly it requires bit of work on your part but rest assured you are playing a key role in the development of the sport - Olympic status will open up a whole new world (and funding) for the sport - hence the concerted effort to mobilise the masses.

Rugby 7s is vying for one of a maximum of two spots in the Olympics with squash, baseball, softball, karate, golf and roller sports. However the IOC are under no obligation to choose any so the level of support each can point to is extremely important. A final presentation to the IOC executive will take place in June before the October vote in Copenhagen.

The IRB is giving it the hard-sell including the slick promotional video below that is charged with emotion and big names. Check it out before doing your bit by clicking here

The second round of matches in this year's Six Nations has come and gone with one truly memorable game, one forgettable clash and one you wish you'd never seen in the first place. But did anyone step forward as a potential Lions tourist?

Several players caught our eye in the first round of matches but has anyone new emerged? And have any of those already in the mix cemented their claims?

For the second successive weekend the northern hemisphere's premier competition failed to live up to its billing. Scotland raised their game against France in Paris but were unable to overhaul their opponents on one of their off-days. England also conjured a much-improved showing but came up short against Wales in Cardiff. And Ireland battled past Italy in a bruising clash that descended into a dull affair.

Here's who caught our eye this weekend:

Max Evans (Scotland)
The centre looked lively throughout and was involved in most good things the Scots did - and outshone his try-scoring brother.

Joe Worsley (England)
Tackled himself into the ground with a gutsy display to almost single-handedly drag England out of the doldrums. Was he really not good enough for England a month ago?

Luke Fitzgerald (Ireland)
The winger notched his first and second Test tries to help see off Italy - combining superbly with team mate Gordon D'Arcy for the latter.

David Wallace (Ireland)
After a comparatively quiet game against France, returned to top form with a strong performance in a fierce forward battle and grabbed a key try too.

Stephen Jones (Wales)
A superb kicking performance in a high-pressure game to steer his side to victory over England.

Ryan Jones (Wales)
Returned to lead his country against England and produced a big match display to ensure his side withstood a determined challenge.

Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
The Ireland skipper secures a repeat appearance in our listing after another vintage display in a full-blooded clash in Rome - capping his performance with another try.

Gethin Jenkins (Wales)
Continues to impress with a high workrate and momentum-stopping tackles in broken play where he has no right being.

And let us not focus all our attention on the Six Nations after Lions coach Ian McGeechan hinted he would be prepared to look outside the Championship frame.

Danny Cipriani (Wasps)
Kicked 21 points in his side's Premiership victory over Leicester to issue a reminder to England manager Martin Johnson - although it appears the Lions coach (and his club boss) is already a fan.

Armchair fans around the UK will not have failed to spot Sir Clive Woodward as England's Six Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff. The more eagle-eyed amongt them would have also seen him pop up at Wasps' Premiership clash with Leicester the following night.

Could England's World Cup-winning coach and now director of elite performance for the British Olympic Association be looking for a little extra work? Maybe England manager Martin Johnson is using his former coach as a sounding board? Perhaps he is providing a little unofficial consultancy advice?

Either that or his wife Lady Jayne kicked him out the house for forgetting Valentines Day...

There has never been, and never will be any substitute to pace when it comes wing play. We are currently blessed with a host of fleet-footed stars but who is the quickest?

Paul Sackey's try at the Millennium Stadium, Leigh Halfpenny's burst in the same game and the lively exploits of the Evans brothers for Scotland only served to underline the value of speed.

Oh for the days of the original Superstars when the sporting icons of the day went at it at a variety of events - not the pale imitation that they have offered more recently that lacked the star quality and only served to illustrate what a freak of nature the super-fit Mike Catt is. See below for a retro fix.

Wouldn't you like to see a straight foot race between the likes of Shane Williams, Paul Sackey, Luke Fitzgerald and Thom Evans? Who would your money be on? I have no doubt that if it was a slalom course then the pocket-sized Williams would clean up but over 100m who knows? When that's decided we can see who is quickest with man-mountain Andy Powell on their back.

In one of the less industrious moments at Scrum Towers we got onto the subject of the sport's biggest chokers. Who has bottled it at the worst possible time? There was an immediate call for individual categories for those players haunted by high-profile failure and those teams to have come up short when it matters most.

A debate then followed about the difference between upsets and out and out bottle-jobs that is still raging as I speak.

There were plenty of submissions - here's a few we came up with but we would be delighted to hear of any others that you think are worth a mention:

Scotland's Gavin Hastings, 1991 - Let us set the scene. It is the 1991 Rugby World Cup semi-final against England and the scores are locked at 6-6 with only a few minutes to play. Hastings has a relatively straightforward penalty to put his side within touching distance of the final - but he fails to hit the target and England go on to win the game.

England, Five Nations, 1999 - England were heavy favourites to beat Wales at Wembley and claim the Championship title and the Grand Slam. But Wales conjured a dramatic comeback sealed with a memorable try from centre Scott Gibbs and a Neil Jenkins conversion in the closing moments.

New Zealand, Rugby World Cup, 2007 - The All Blacks were odds on to sweep France aside in their quarter-final clash at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff but found their northern hemisphere rivals more than a match for them. New Zealand's failure to think on their feet and find a Plan B under pressure cost them dear.

Ireland, Rugby World Cup, 1991 - Lansdowne Road erupted as Gordon Hamilton touched down to put Ireland within reach of a shock victory over Australia. Ralph Keyes added the conversion and the hosts just had to hold out for the final moments of the game. But Australia conjured a great escape with David Campese grabbing a late score.

New Zealand, Rugby World Cup, 2003 - The All Blacks marched into the 2003 Rugby World Cup as most people's favourites and swept all before them until Australia threw a spanner in the works in the semi-finals with a deserved victory. The Wallabies' performance was the key to the victory but it was another example of New Zealand's failure to produce the goods when it counts.

Former England skipper Lawrence Dallaglio launched a timely attack on the current international set-up this week pinpointing that detrimental attitude of some players while questionning the fitness of others.

Dallaglio's comments, made during a press junket for a brewery he endorses, were clearly designed to cause a ripple or two in the wake of England's far from impressive Six Nations bow against Italy. But given his proximity to the England set-up, having relatively recently hung up his boots, and his relationship with those Wasps players within the elite squad there is obviously some fire to go with that smoke.

"We have this attitude at the moment where our players walk around thinking they are the bees knees," he commented. Who is he pointing the finger at? We could speculate for hours as to who it is had angered him but am not sure what good that would do either us or England. The fact that someone like Dallaglio has chosen to speak out should matter and in this case I think there may be more to it than just a soundbite.

England flanker, and Wasps star, James Haskell did his best deflect the attack and his comments confirmed to us - if we didn't know already - that Dallaglio was not firing verbals at any of the Wasps players so we can assume that some players within the camp have annoyed the Wasps contingent.

As for England being unfit, or at least not as fit as their northern hemisphere rivals? I doubt it. The demands of the Premiership and Heineken Cup are such that I suspect the those players battling week in and week out in English rugby's top flight are the fittest in Europe. The issue here maybe fatigue or player burnout - such is the workload for England's leading players.

Maybe Dallaglio's real issue is with the lack of strong characters within the squad. Who has filled the void left by the likes of Dallaglio and Johnson? There does not appear to be one defining voice driving this latest generation.

But perhaps one will emerge in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the Millennium Stadium this weekend?

The opening matches in this year's Six Nations doubled up as the first open auditions for this summer's British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. But instead of Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh deciding the destiny of the most talented individuals we have messrs Ian McGeechan and Gerald Davies.

Like millions of other fans across the continent, I'm sure they slipped into their favourite armchairs with a cup of tea by their side and notebook and pen in hand ready to piece together their squad to tackle the Springboks. They probably skipped most of England's clash with Italy to clear the snow from their driveways but hopefully returned to their slippers in time for the delights of the Croke Park and timed their Sunday lunches around Wales' impressive showing against the Scots.

So, what have we all learnt from the first round of matches? How many Welsh players would make the Lions Test team if it was named tomorrow? Would any Englishmen be boarding the plane to South Africa?

Here's who caught our eye and can surely forget any holiday plans in June:

Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales)
The athletic lock scored a try against the Scots and rampaged around the field on his way to a table-topping 13 tackles (along with Ireland's Luke Fitzgerald).

Paul O'Connell (Ireland)
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Just when Ireland needed their colossus to deliver a big performance he obliged in all departments. A second row partnership with Jones surely beckons?

Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)
The Irishman sounded out a warning to his potential Lions backrow rivals with a barnstorming performance against France including a superby taken try with impressive sidestep to boot.

Martyn Williams (Wales)
Another masterclass from the Nugget as part of a dominant Welsh pack. His skills at the breakdown mean he is a shoe-in for the tour and most likely the Test team.

Andy Powell (Wales)
The giant Welshman saw plenty of the ball against Scotland (an leading 12 carries) because he is such a formidable weapon. In-form and happy to take the attack to anyone - watch out Boks.

Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
The Munsterman was on top form orchestrating the Irish with confidence and back to his best.

Shane Williams (Wales)
Another eye-catching display from the IRB Player of the Year including a try and superb offload in the tackle to set up team mate Leigh Halfpenny for a score. Worht his weight and more in gold.

Jamie Roberts (Wales)
Wales boss Warren Gatland has backed his centre for grest things and who are we to argue after he produced a man of the match display against the Scots, breaking the gainline time and time again.

Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
A superb try against the French had every man and his dog harking back to his memorable score for the Lions in Australiain 2001. Full of running and looks to be timing a return to top form to claim a place on his third Lions tour.

Rob Kearney (Ireland)
Sounded a warning that there is more than one contender for the Lions' No.15 shirt with another assured display against France.

Lee Byrne (Wales)
The talented fullback has long been tipped for Lions honours and produced another superb display in a red shirt against the Scots. great under the high ball and in broken play - and hard as nails, just ask the frozen Murrayfield turf.

Not an Englishman or Scotsman on my radar after the opening exchanges in the battle for the northern hemisphere crown but this is the Six Nations and we have got a long way to go - so who knows?

The Six Nations kicked off with great fanfare this weekend and with the eyes of the rugby-loving world descending upon the northern hemisphere England and Italy chose to serve up one of the worst adverts possible for the game. Thankfully Ireland and France produced a classic to restore the faith of those who had sat through the disappointing opening game. And Wales showed enough class against Scotland to reassure everyone that the Six Nations is a premier event in the rugby calendar and not some second-rate spectacle.

One man in particular will be glad to see the back of this weekend which brings us to the 'Bergamasco Experiment'. It sounds like it could be a 1950s 'B' movie with radioactive monsters invading small town America. Sadly for Italy's Mauro Bergamasco this video nasty features his failed attempts to portray a scrum-half. Maybe he should opt for a more method approach should his coach Nick Mallett have any more rash thoughts when it comes to selection - maybe he will give Martin Castrogiovanni a run in the No.9 shirt? Thankfully for Mauro the film only lasts forty minutes.

One man happy to see Mauro hog the headlines would have been England boss Martin Johnson. The unfortunate Italian's inadequacies overshadowed England's shortcomings to a certain extent but at the same time magnified them as Johnson's side failed to find a clinical performance to silence their critics. OK, they may have scored five tries but you'll never see a less convincing five-try performance. The knives were immediately out following the game and any feel-good factor fly-half Andy Goode may have left the game with will have surely have evaporated on sight of the morning's papers. But there was more good than bad for the Brive No.10 and it would not surprise me to see Johnson retain his services for the trip to Wales next weekend. He may not be the most dynamic option available but at least England know what they're getting with him. Scrum-half Harry Ellis is also worthy of mention for a lively display that is set to keep Danny Care honest.

Across the Irish Sea, Ireland and France produced a great feast of exciting, running rugby. A vociferous Croke Park crowd certainly added to the occasion but the rugby certainly lived up to the billing. The sweeping move for France's opening try by Imanol Harinordoquy whet the appetite for what was to come. First Jamie Heaslip carved his way through a gap in the visitors' defence showing Clement Poitrenaud and Julien Malzieu a clean pair of heels with a delightful change of direction. Brian O'Driscoll conjured memories of the Lions tour in 2001 with a trademark linebreak for Ireland's second score before Gordon D'Arcy made a dream return by forcing his way over. To mention just the tryscorers would do fly-half Ronan O'Gara a disservice who was back on the front foot in every way. France refused to roll over but had to eventually settle for second best but they will not come up against much better in this year's Championship. In addition, coach Marc Lievremont is likely to have learnt a great deal more from this defeat than his English counterpart would have done at Twickenham.

As if we didn't know already, Wales' commanding performance against an impotent Scotland underlined the fact that we have three excellent sides in this year's Championship. They may not have hit the heights of the previous evening's game in Dublin but they were not be pressed to produce. As a result, their ability to dominate proceedings and control the game was arguably all the more impressive. They ran the show with the likes of Shane Williams, Jamie Roberts, Lee Byrne and Andy Powell underlining their credentials with stand-out performances. Wales coach Warren Gatland has reason to be relish the clash with England next weekend. For Scotland coach Frank Hadden it is an all too familiar problem of a lack of firepower. But he may have seen the light with the introduction of Max Evans - now only if he can offer a recall to his equally-electric brother Thom.

This year's title-race already appears to have split into a two-tier battle. On opening showings, Wales, Ireland and France will be competing for the crown. If England get their act together they may offer some resistance to that classification but money now says they will struggle to find the required cohesion and direction that was so lacking on Saturday in time to upset the odds. If pushed, I would say Ireland and Wales could well be battling it out for the silverware and maybe the slam in the last match of the Championship on March 21.

But this is the Six Nations I guess...

Blue skies and freezing temperatures welcome the start of this year's Six Nations. Your correspondent is doing his best to keep his hands warm at England's HQ whilst watching England and Italy warm-up ahead of kick off.

Most notable thing today so far - Italy skipper Sergio Parisse is not only one of the best players in the world he can pass a ball a full 45m (and some - the ball was still flying when caught) off either hand. Other observations - Italy coach Nick Mallett does not feel the cold (he's prowling the Twickenham pitch without a coat), former Strictly Come Dancing star and ex-England international Austin Healey is happy to sign autographs, the credit crunch does not appear to be hitting the pockets of England fans going by the brisk trade being done at the new Twickenham shop, bright blue curly wigs are the attire of choice for travelling fans (and a practical piece of clothing on a day like this) and the PA announcer is a fan of Girls Aloud - nothing like a bit of lightweight pop to get you psyched up for an international. Oh, and it's cold. Enjoy the game.

After much deliberation my team is set for the opening round of matches in this year's Scrum Fantasy Game. At stake is the highly-prized bragging rights amongst the extended Scrum.com family and the small matter of my professional reputation.

I'm expecting big things (and points) from my formidable backrow that features David Wallace, Sergio Parisse and Andy Powell and I trust fly-half Ronan O'Gara will once again weigh in significantly. My 'player to watch' for the Championship - France's Julien Malzieu - lines up in my back three alongside Shane Williams and Rob Kearney. Come on boys!

There's still time for you to get involved - teams can be entered up to 15.00 GMT on Saturday!

As for match predictions - expect Italy to test England but come up short at Twickenham, Ireland to make a statement of intent against France at Croke Park and Wales to kick off their defence with an impressive victory at Murrayfield. But this is the Six Nations - so we can also expect one or more surprises.

The big Six Nations kick off is almost upon us and it's time for the northern hemisphere's elite to stand up and be counted. Big matches call for big performances and big speeches.

England boss Martin Johnson has traditionally been a man of action rather than words and you can't envisage him rallying his troops in the style of Henry V. Similarly, the quietly-spoken Ireland coach Declan Kidney does not strike you as the kind of character to stir the blood with a passion-filled speech. Both men may want to take a lead from Al Pacino whose pre-game speech in the American Football-themed Any Given Sunday has passed into sporting folklore.

Those clever bods at Sky Sports produced their own spin on the speech using the formidable tones of Stephen Berkoff to get the message across on the eve of this year's Heineken Cup. Take note BBC who have failed to hit the mark with their latest promos for the most-envied rugby event of the year.

If you're not up for the Six Nations already - these should do the trick.

Forget the chimes of Big Ben, the new year begins with the Six Nations as far as I am concerned. My favourite time of year - and here's ten reasons why this year's Championship will once again deliver...

1. Your Valentines Day dilemma answered
What could be more romantic than a trip to Paris to see the Scots take on France at the Stade de France? And with a bit of luck you could be in a cosy bistro in the 3ème arrondissement in time to see Wales and England go at it in Cardiff. No need to thank me - just thank my wife for understanding why I will not be able to take her out.

2. Friday night lights
The Championship will break new ground this year with the first-ever Friday night game when France entertain Wales under the lights of the Stade de France on February 27. OK, thousands of fans will not be able to make the trip across the channel (unless they skip work) but this latest innovation is most likely here to stay so let’s embrace it.

3. BBC commentators dust off their microphones
I make no excuses for being a fan of ex-Scrum pundit John Inverdale and the likes of Jiffy, Jerry, Austin et al and the addition of Lawrence Dallaglio should bring some further impact. Their commentators however are sure to infuriate as much as inform. Get ready for some further gems from the Eddie Butler and Brian Moore double-act (Cardiff should once again be a real feast for the ears) while messrs Cotter and Mullins vie for second-billing.

4. Lions carrot promises added from Home Unions
Now, normally the Celtic rivalry, cross-continent bragging rights or the determination to stick it to England are reason enough for Europe’s elite to bring their best game to the Championship table. However, this year we have the mouth-watering prospect of a Lions tour looming on the horizon ensuring endless personal battles throughout the next couple of months between those players hoping to nail down a tour berth. Expect more intensity, more dazzling performances and sadly more casualties.

5. Even my Mum knows about it
My mum’s passing interest in rugby only used to flicker into life to check if I had finished a match in one piece. But there is one exception to that statement – the Six Nations. OK, she won’t be chugging back beers berating Nigel Owens’ failure to police the offside line but will at least be aware that it’s a busy time for her son.

6. Silverware
Not only is there the Six Nations Championship trophy on offer, and the more recently introduced Triple Crown platter, we also have a variety of other fetching silverware up for grabs. The oldest is the Calcutta Cup, contested between England and Scotland since 1879. Elsewhere there is the Centenary Quaich (Scotland v Ireland), the Millennium Trophy (England v Ireland), the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (Italy v France). Thankfully there is no actual Wooden Spoon for the side propping up the table.

7. Jolly boys' (and girls') outing
One of the great traditions of the Championship is the 'away day'. Thousands of fans will be gearing up for one or more trips over the next couple of months with exotic destinations like Paris and Rome enticingg some while the post-match delights of St Mary’s Street in Cardiff awaits others. Despite the current economic climate (and the Six Nations Committee’s decision to schedule a Friday night game) fans are once again set to provide a financial boost to hotels, restaurants and bars across the continent.

8. History
The Home Nations have been battling it out for northern hemisphere supremacy since 1883 – that’s 125 years of history to get your teeth stuck into. Compare that to the Tri-Nations that began in 1996! (OK, the Bledisloe Cup dates back to the 1930s and South Africa and New Zealand have been going at it since the 1920s). That gives us plenty of material to draw on be it on the pages of this website or in the pub. And where there’s history there’s hope – except for Italy where England are concerned as they have never beaten their illustrious European neighbours whereas they have beaten their other rivals at least once (albeit not in the Six Nations). But then, there's always this year?

9. You can get a ticket!
It’s not every year you can get a ticket to your country’s biggest rugby fixture but thanks to the credit crunch and some indifferent form there have been plenty of tickets up for grabs. Even tickets for Twickenham went on a limited general sale after some clubs returned their allocation (I can’t remember that happening for matches against the likes of France). This fact may also say something about their hopes for Martin Johnson’s side this year. And there’s always the secondary ticket market that appears to be booming.

10. Scrum.com will be there every step of the way
This will be the first Six Nations for the latest incarnation of Scrum.com. We’ll be providing unrivalled coverage of this year’s Championship including live commentary from every game and in-depth analysis from our team of correspondents. And for those not already signed up – don’t forget you can put your mouse where your mouth is and give our Fantasy Game a crack. Get involved!

Many would have been sad to read that Barry John has opted to put some personal memorabilia up for sale. We are assured the King John is not hard-up and that he merely has no time for nostalgia and who are we to question although I dare say the Welsh Rugby Union may be in contact to check.

Elsewhere, another former great was hawking his wares this week - and on national TV to boot. You could have got your hands on a set of commemorative mugs once owned by Bill Beaumont or a couple of ornate candle holders that have graced the great man's home or some fine pewter jugs. But do not fear, this is not another money-making scheme for a player who recently announced plans for a playing comeback - he was doing a good deed on behalf of the Wooden Spoon charity on that daytime TV staple Cash in the Attic. To see the big man in action with his gavel just click here.

It was sad to see Dan Carter's sabbatical come to a premature end after his Achilles woes returned at the weekend.

You feel desperately sorry for the Catalan club after they only got five matches and a total of 361 minutes playing time out of the world's best player following his arrival in a blaze of publicity last year. I only hope the French club took out sufficient insurance on their investment - the package with which they lured Carter to the northern hemisphere would have seen the Kiwi pocket a reported £500,000 for a six-month stint.

How much of that he will actually take back to New Zealand is still unknown but let's hope Perpignan don't have to cough up with the economic climate making things difficult as it is. I dare say that their club shop are also now stuck with a stack of No.10 shirts and other Carter-related paraphernalia to get rid of...

On a more serious note, is this just a reminder about the physical toll that the game takes on a player's body in the elite game? In 2008, Carter helped steer the Crusaders to the Super 14 crown before going on to feature in 14 Tests for the All Blacks that spanned their crushing victories over England, his country's Tri-Nations triumph and a Grand Slam tour of the UK - all this before joining up with Perpignan who happen to play in the most physical league in the world.

Add to this his numerous commercial commitments and the travel fatigue and no wonder his body is screaming 'give me a break!' Let this be a warning to you Mr McCaw. The New Zealand Rugby Union suits will not be the only ones urging players to think about their long-term welfare as opposed to short-term monetary gain.