Lions left Tommy tuckered out

FRIED FREEMAN THANKS SAINTS FOR AFTER CARE

- BY ADAM HATHAWAY

TOMMY FREEMAN has revealed he was rescued from his Lions hangover by club bosses at Northampton who saw he was frazzled in preseason.

The England centre played 34 games last season, including all three Lions Test matches in Australia, and admits he tried to come back too early.

The players were given 10 weeks off from the final Test match in Sydney, but Freeman was not right and Phil Dowson, director of rugby at Saints, and head coach Sam Vesty picked up on it.

England have not won a Six or Five Nations title the year after a tour since 1963.