There have been times when Morgan even questioned whether he had the drive to push himself along another slow road to recovery.

But he came through on each occasion to reclaim the full-back jersey and was at it again last month after suffering a cracked jawbone in the dismal defeat to Scotland.

Morgan was initially off solid food and was forced to watch the defeat to France in his local pub after having a three centimetre plate inserted into his jaw.

But he returns to action on Saturday at least a week ahead of schedule and will win his 42nd cap in the vital RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy.

It is a measure of how much rugby Morgan has missed over the last decade that prop Gethin Jenkins has more caps to his name despite making his Test debut five years later.

Morgan knows what is at stake. He almost certainly faces a future dealing with the painful repercussions of life as a professional sportsman.

But, in his mind, it is all worth it. Morgan will forever look on the bright side of life.

I am used to operations by now. Luckily for me this was only four weeks. Normally my injuries take a minimum of six months, he said.

I have had three knee operations, a dislocated foot, a thumb operation, shoulder operation...and you do have spells when you think Is it worth it all, shall I pack it in?

But you are a long time retired and I want to play as long as I can. I love the game. I live for it every day.

Come 40 Ill probably be on the Zimmer frame. I think most professional sportsmen, rugby players, will get some kind of arthritic condition. It is one of the perils of the game.

Compared to the nine months and entire RBS 6 Nations campaign he missed in 2006 after suffering that dislocated foot, Morgan found the last four weeks something of a breeze. Helped, no doubt, by a fatter wallet.

Sean Lamonts knee came down on me in a tackle and cracked my jaw right through where the socket of my wisdom teeth was, Morgan explained.

But I needed my wisdom teeth out anyway. I was going to have them done in the summer, so it has saved me a thousand pounds!