Honestly, Nix, the comments about the LTA physios weren't really mine, I was just reporting what others were saying on the internet, and they weren't really informed comments, just people throwing out lines. I don't really have an opinion about the LTA physios themselves.

BUT one thing I was shocked to learn from the parent of one of our top young players is that, until extremely recently, one of our junior academies had NO fulltime physio for the players.

They had to share the physio with the cricket facilities (I think it was) and whoever else. The physio was only on call for them for one day a week. And because of the players with longterm, ongoing injuries, those players got the attention. So the elite players with 'little niggles' basically never got seen by the physios. The approach seemed to be, I was told, that you didn't see a physio unless you were properly 'injured'. And it was up to the youngsters to say if they were injured or not. Which most of them didn't want to admit, or didn't really know how to judge.

Now, that, I think is disgraceful - and, again, this was at our eilte academy, not just a regular club or what have you.

So, the physios themselves may well be fine. But if the structure is not in place to have sufficient access to those physios, then what's the point?

I also think that the UK is not very physio minded. In general. Even in normal life, France relies heavily on physios - it's the go-to treatement for any back, muscular, tendon problem etc etc. You go to the doctors and you get a prescription for 6 or 10 physio sessions. And they work. Re-hab is also huge. And there's lot of sport specialist facilities.

So, overall, yes, I think it is better in France, although I realise this opinion is a little big ad hoc and not based on stats or proper research. And I think the LTA should get their act together and fund proper medical follow-up, for