England back Joseph played World Cup with severe injury

England and Bath back-liner Jonathan Joseph has revealed that he played through the Rugby World Cup with a severe chest injury.

Joseph says that he played in England’s World Cup games against Australia and Uruguay with only one third of his chest muscle attached to the bone.

The back has revealed that his pectoral muscle was torn in England’s Rugby World Cup opening match against Fiji and this was why he missed England’s next match which was against Wales.

Joseph did however return and started the match against Australia and came off the bench against Uruguay.

But when Joseph’s injury was scanned on his return to his English Premiership club Bath, the full extent of the damage was revealed.

“I felt something in my pec and wasn’t too happy about it as I’d done the other pec before and it felt a little bit similar,” Joseph said.

“When I got back to Bath, they had a little play with it. I had felt something in there during the Uruguay week but wasn’t too concerned.

“Bath had it scanned and in fact I only had about a third of the muscle still attached.

“Although I could feel it against Australia and Uruguay, it wasn’t too bad. I was aware of it, it was strapped but I managed to tackle all right.

“It was a World Cup and I was going to do everything I could to play. Obviously, I wasn’t aware that there was only one third attached.”

Joseph’s return from surgery against Northampton last weekend was a full month ahead of schedule and he makes his second club appearance of the season in Sunday’s European Champions Cup clash with Wasps.