Unlike 2005, Michael Lipman enjoyed an injury-free pre-season last year, only to hurt his right shoulder against Gloucester in the first match of the 2006/07 Guinness Premiership campaign.
Michael threw himself into community work during his time out of action, and his cheerful and committed attitude won him the Community Player of the Year award for 2006/07.
He was unavailable until January, but marked his return by scoring a try against Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup, and finished the season back as first choice on the blindside, and in the England Saxons squad for the Churchill Cup.
After enduring a catalogue of misfortunes, the Australian-born flanker had enjoyed a magnificent season in 2005/06, and his form was endorsed by selection by England for the summer tour to Australia (where he won a cap in the second test), two years on from winning his previous two caps.
If Michael’s game has made such strides despite the constraints of injury, it is exciting to imagine the impact he could have given a season of uninterrupted health. He has highly-rated defensive qualities, strength and power, and is still only 27 years old, so has time to develop and improve still more.
