Rugby Union: Back to Take Coaching Role?

While the acting England coach Andy Robinson mulls over whether to ask Neil Back to come out of international retirement and help to fill the gap left by Richard Hill, Leicester hope their 35-year-old flanker will play on next season.

Back has been offered a coaching job by England's national academy, starting next summer, and he has said he will decide whether to take it up at the end of the season. He doubles up as Leicester's defence coach, which is why he is reluctant to make himself available again for England.

Leicester have struggled in recent seasons when the likes of Back and Martin Johnson were away for weeks on end on international duty, but since the pair's retirement from the Test arena earlier this year, they have only lost one league match.

"Neil and Martin have been very important to our club over the last 10 years and we want them both to remain here," said the Leicester chief executive Peter Wheeler. "We have talked to Neil about what he wants to do from a playing point of view next season.

"He still has to make up his mind and the discussions will continue. He remains an essential part of our team and on his current form, he does not look ready to stop playing. With players of his age, it is not so much the playing that is tough but the preparation and the recovery."

Johnson's contract with Leicester also runs out at the end of the season and, along with Back, he has been asked by Sir Clive Woodward to make himself available for the Lions tour to New Zealand next summer.

"I am not surprised that Clive wants Neil and Martin," said Wheeler. "If you are taking a cast of thousands, you might as well have a couple of quality guys who have been around a bit and set the right standards in terms of commitment, attitude and work ethic."

Robinson has yet to decide whether to replace Hill, or Lawrence Dallaglio who retired from international rugby last month, in the England squad. Under an agreement with the Premiership clubs, he is allowed to bring in players to cover long-term injuries and retirements.

Ulster, meanwhile, have asked permission from the organisers of the Heineken Cup, which starts later this month, to change their squad after being hit by injury problems in the back row. The flanker Neil McMillan was ruled out for the season earlier this week after tearing knee ligaments, while Ulster's captain Andy Ward will miss the opening two rounds with an elbow strain.

The Ulster coach Mark McCall only has four back rowers to call on. "It is illogical that the deadline for registering players for the tournament is three weeks before it starts," he said. "Neil's injury is a hammer blow for us."

Ulster open their European campaign against Cardiff on Friday week.