Luger learns to run with a smile again

Dan Luger pulled up a comfy chair in England's Surrey hotel, and submitted himself to the familiar once-over. The hair was tousled – not the triumph of gel and careful crimping that it normally is – but that was the result of morning training. Otherwise, the sense of humour was intact, the optimism present and correct and the answers delivered quickly and courteously. All he needs is a couple of tries this afternoon against the Italians and normal service will, on the surface at least, be fully resumed.

Luger has only been back on the field of play for a few weeks, having missed the greater part of the last year with torn cruciate ligaments. The Harlequins wing suffered the same injury, one of the most grievous known to those who run with a ball, back in 1997, and was inactive for 10 months.

This time around it was nine. "Things have moved on," he said. "When I first did the injury, it was career-threatening. Now, they can tell you more or less exactly when you will be able to play again.

"This is the third game back for England, and I feel like my form has been good so I'm fairly pleased at the moment. I want to be flying come the World Cup, and obviously that's my main aim, to be on top form by then."

So far, so routine. And of course there are no outward signs that, 10 days ago, Luger was carrying the coffin of his friend and clubmate, Nick Duncombe. A third Harlequin, Nathan Williams, was another of the pallbearers at the desperately untimely funeral of the 21-year-old scrum-half in Berkshire.

Luger learned the news of Duncombe's death on the eve of his return to the England team; only at 11 o'clock on the morning of the match against France did he finally decide to play. "The France game was difficult for me, just being out there," he said. "It was a bit of blur. I think in the Wales game [a week later], I got a fair amount of ball, taking kicks back and stuff like that. I am happy to be getting the ball and running again and taking people on, it's still good fun. In a way, I quite enjoyed the Wales game."

Fun and enjoyment. By all accounts, they were the themes of Duncombe's funeral and subsequent memorial gathering at Maidenhead Rugby Club. Luger is not sure he has experienced the "closure" that he has heard people talk about, but he instinctively knows that mawkishness is the wrong way to go.

"I think about Nick quite a lot, and, hopefully, as time goes on it will be more about the good things. There are little things: like if I don't feel like training, I'll think about him and how he was always bouncing around, being positive. And I'll take that energy."

Luger has been the best of servants to England, even if Harlequins and Saracens – the two clubs from whence he was capped after making his way with Richmond and Orrell – have not always seen the best of this Chiswick-born son of a Croatian and a Czech. (His mother, Tina, incidentally, has Italian ancestry too).

A groin injury he suffered during the 1999 World Cup finished his season; the 2001 Six Nations campaign finished early when he hurt his neck against Wales; and although he won the battle to make the Lions tour, he was robbed of a probable Test place when he broke a cheekbone during training.

For England, Luger's scintillating strike rate of 19 tries in 29 Tests is bettered only marginally by Ben Cohen, who is himself absent injured against the Italians today.

The try ratio has suffered with blanks against the French and the Welsh, however, and the sum of the Luger locomotion so far this season is precisely one.

Perhaps that is not so surprising, given that his handful of comeback venues have included a boggy Rec in Bath and a frosty surface at Newcastle. "The gas has got to go down a bit more this week," Luger said. "We know what a challenge Italy will be; I think they have scored more tries against us in the Six Nations than anyone else. People like Josh Lewsey have come into the team and will have to go out and prove a few things, so if anything the effort is going to be lifted slightly."

At a pinch, Luger prefers the left wing to the right, and says it is nice to be back in the No 11 jersey on the occasion of his 30th cap today. Twickenham has been his playground. In 1998, a month after his debut, an athletic palm-down of a cross-kick for Jerry Guscott set up a famous victory over the Springboks. A couple of years later, Luger did for the world champion Wallabies with a flurry of feet and brilliant anticipation to get to Iain Balshaw's last-ditch chip.

He has the physique to deal today with the threat opposite him of Italy's converted flanker, Mauro Berga- masco, and is ready to rumble in an England back division bearing an unusually orthodox look.

"The main thing is to keep improving," Luger said. "We are not firing on all cylinders, we know that, though whatever anyone says, I think going to Wales and winning by almost 20 points is good. We have made changes, but I don't think we're any weaker because of it."

During his injury lay-off he went into partnership in an estate agents, Eden Harper in Battersea. If Bergamasco and company lay out the welcome mat for Dan Luger, they will find him crossing it with a smile.