Neil cuts his critics down to size

His condemnation of the Cooke and Rowell regimes as 'narrow-minded and unimagsion. inative' has been well-documented, likewise his complaint that Will Carling and his coterie of senior play-ers made him feel less than welcome when he finally won his first cap against Scotland in 1994, only to be dumped a fortnight later.

Cooke, now nearing the end of his stint as chief executive of perennial First Division runners-up Worcester, said: 'The size issue was exaggerated. Neil wasn't good enough at the time. That's why we didn't pick him and my view doesn't alter in hindsight.

'Looking back, I would not have picked him above the other flankers, people like Winterbottom, Gary Rees and Clarke, and Jack Rowell obviously felt the same.

'Neil got himself into a lather about it. He's always been single-minded and, like a lot of players, believed he should have been picked. It didn't do him harm.

'He worked at his game and got better. The game's changed beyond recognition since 1994 and to get 50 caps is a tremendous achievement.'

If Back thought Rowell's appointment following Cooke's resignation in March 1994 would improve his lot, he was mistaken.

Rowell picked him only twice in three years during which he recalled Robinson, one of his Bath proteges, a one-off return which coincided with a heavy home defeat by South Africa.

In desperation, Back wrote to the manager over what he called 'a massive slap in the face.'

Rowell said: 'I don' t remember the letter. I am delighted for him that he is about to reach 50 caps. All credit to him for becoming a big man in the new era. Neil Back over the last few years has made major strides and fully deserves the success he has had.

'I inherited a big back row which was very effective with Richard Hill playing extremely well at openside.

'One criticism which used to be made of Neil was that he couldn't stop the runners crossing the gain-line but in the last few years he has changed his game and done that.

'He's always been a good operator at the coal-face of the tackle area but if he could stop the big South Africans, as he did for the Lions, he could stop anyone. That was where he made the major breakthrough and he's thrived ever since.'

Flankers are a breed apart and Rowell added: 'They have to be mentally and physically tough and their pain threshold has to be higher than anyone else's.'

Back has nothing to prove to anyone in that respect.

But Lewis Moody's rapid rise as the heir-apparent to the throne leaves England's occasional captain, and senior professional at 33, one last challenge.

He must keep his career running until the World Cup in 18 months' time.