WORCESTER Rugby Club scrum-half Chris Simpson-Daniel is living on borrowed time - and he knows it.

At 21 he is one of the club's youngsters but has already been through enough injury anguish to wear out a grizzled veteran.

A cruciate knee ligament injury can be enough to end a career and he has already suffered one on each knee.

The first came when he was 18 and led to six months out of the game and he is still on the comeback trail from the other which occurred when he was with Wakefield.

Born in York, he attended Sedburgh School with ex-Worcester stand-off James Lofthouse when injury number one struck.

Simpson-Daniel then joined Newcastle and played in 14 league matches but eventually became sick of sitting on the bench behind Scotland international Gary Armstrong.

He moved down a league to Wakefield, where he began his association with Geoff Cooke, playing 18 times including twice against Worcester.

Then injury struck again and it took him to the brink. "I'd had enough and couldn't be bothered having damaged both cruciate ligaments," he said.

"I'm just grateful Geoff has given me a try because I was thinking of quitting."

Gradually he has come back to fitness and Les Cusworth's departure led to a first-team call-up last week at Rugby Lions.

He made a dream start, scoring within 90 seconds from a quickly-taken penalty and repeating the feat at the start of the second half but, those moments apart, the shock 21-15 defeat is best forgotten.

"I had no chance with Les as he kept with what he had but now I'm able to get some games," he said. "I'm not match fit as it was my first full game for three of four weeks and I was relieved to get through it."

Things look optimistic for a contract to take him into next season but with his injury record he is not setting his sights too highly. "I just need a good summer and to avoid injury," he added.