Catt's back injury could prove career-threatening

News: England centre Mike Catt's chronic back injury which has sidelined him for five weeks could be career-threatening, according to his club Bath.

"This is a fight for his career," Bath director of rugby John Connolly said yesterday. "There's no doubt about that. He has a nerve problem in his back which affects his hamstring and he has had it for two years."

Catt, 32, missed large parts of last season because of the problem. He said: "I don't know what the future holds. I'm going to keep going and see how it goes. If it does end my career, there's not much I can do about it. If not fantastic."

Catt broke down with a recurrence of the injury against Leicester on November 29th in his first match for league leaders Bath after returning from Australia.

Catt is one of several members of England's World Cup squad struggling with injury following their return from the World Cup.

Fellow centre Mike Tindall (ankle), flankers Richard Hill (nose/eye) and Lewis Moody (foot), scrumhalf Matt Dawson (calf) and outhalf Jonny Wilkinson (shoulder) are among those sidelined in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Wales coach Steve Hansen last night named six uncapped players in a 47-man preliminary training squad for the Six Nations Championship.

Harlequins prop Ceri Jones and 19-year-old Gloucester flanker James Merriman are among an uncapped contingent which also includes Cardiff Blues front-row forward John Yapp and Gwent Dragons lock Peter Sidoli, who joins his brother Robert in the squad.