Rugby Union: Dallaglio out for up to nine months

Lawrence Dallaglio will be out of rugby for up to nine months as he pays the crippling price for his unsuccessful bid to play in the Lions'Test series against Australia.

England's 28-year-old former captain may miss all nine internationals next season after undergoing surgery to reconstruct the right knee he injured during Wasps' Premiership play-off semi-final against Bath at Loftus Road two months ago.

Dallaglio was given medical clearance for the Lions tour three weeks later, despite Wasps' fears that he would need surgery.

He played against Australia A and New South Wales before further knee trouble forced him to fly home.

Dallaglio's new £750,000, three-year contract with Wasps begins next season and the club is bound to seek compensation from the Lions.

England are also likely to lodge a claim. Wasps' director of rugby Nigel Melville said: 'The Lions coaches, medical team and insurers passed him fit to travel. I would rather have seen him stay at home, but you cannot stop a player going on a Lions tour if he is passed fit. This is a major blow and he will be a great loss, but these things happen.'

Melville has already ruled Dallaglio out of England's Grand Slam decider against Ireland in Dublin - rearranged for October because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic - as well as the pre-Christmas Tests against Australia, Romania and South Africa and next year's Six Nations.

A statement issued yesterday by Dallaglio and his personal physiotherapist, Kevin Lidlow, revealed the conditions under which the player had been released by his club to take his place with the Lions after an extensive rehabilitation programme.

'It was always stated categorically that inclusion in the tour was co-dependent upon Lawrence not compromising his England and Wasps positions for the coming 2001-02 season,' it said, adding that Dallaglio's knee had been 'sound'.

It went on: 'Lawrence withdrew from the tour and on his return was reassessed, with surgery being advised. He will need structured rehabilitation and will expect to resume in the latter part of the coming season.'