Chris Paterson fears kicking days could be over

CHRIS Paterson fears his goal-kicking days may be behind him, but Scotland’s most-capped player remains confident that, even if that turns out to be the case, he still has much to give his club Edinburgh and the national side.

The 33-year-old has spent much of the past six years fighting worsening hip and groin injuries, the painful pay-off for the intensity of kicking practice that made him the most accurate goal-kicker in world rugby. With a broken cheekbone and, two years ago, a badly-injured kidney which almost forced him to retire from the game, Paterson’s 12st 6lb frame has been pushed in his desire to remain at the top of his game.

He has tried many things to reduce the pain that comes with every kick, but his groin was torn again towards the end of the recent World Cup.

The form of Edinburgh skipper Greig Laidlaw and young stand-off Harry Leonard has allowed Paterson to stay away from kicking practice but he will continue to test himself occasionally and is happy to kick through the pain when called upon for club and country.

He explained: “The groin tear is being well managed and is better, but it’s still there and it’s stopping me kicking at the moment. But Greig is kicking really well so it prevents me having to fight through that pain barrier that I’ve done for the last six or seven years.

“I’ve had a bad hip and groin, through the repetition of kicking practice, for six or seven years, but I got that fresh tear towards the end of the World Cup. Maybe I won’t be kicking again; who knows? It’s not a big issue. Hopefully, I will be kicking again in weeks rather than months.”

As determined as ever to retain the Edinburgh and Scotland No 15 jersey, with new pressure from Rory Lamont and Stuart Hogg, Paterson is focused simply on helping Edinburgh to take the next step to a first Heineken Cup quarter-final in seven years by beating Cardiff at Murrayfield tomorrow night.