Nick Easter is in line for one of sport’s more remarkable comebacks having been named among England’s replacements for Friday’s Six Nations curtain raiser in Cardiff, writes John Payne.

There can be few fiercer settings for a return to the big stage for the 36-year-old Harlequins number eight as he prepares to make his first international appearance since the 2011 World Cup.

He provides a neat antidote to one of the annoying phenomenons that has crept into sport in recent years – the international retirement.

Football is particularly bad for it. The so-called “golden generation” of England footballers have done it one by one – none quite so prematurely as Paul Scholes, who was 29 and in his prime, when he decided he was above and beyond the national cause in 2004.

There are exceptions, of course – Stuart Pearce was 37 when he was called out of the blue to serve his country one last time in a European Championships qualifier in Poland.

It has crept into rugby too – Jonny Wilkinson played on for a couple of years for Toulon after announcing he would no longer play for England while Wales hooker Adam Jones quit last week, apparently in response to being dropped.

Imagine Easter had taken that attitude four years ago.

No one could have foreseen Ben Morgan’s injury would have provided this opening but England head coach Stuart Lancaster would have had even fewer options and more headaches in World Cup year.

You can understand players wanting to leave on their own terms, although – Kevin Pietersen being the obvious exception – players tend to be naturally overtaken before they are axed.

But although it doesn’t feel like it sometimes, but representing your country should be the greatest honour in any sport.

Surely there is something that doesn’t sit right when a sportsman with something left to offer withdraws from national service prematurely.

Hopefully, Easter’s experience can persuade others to think again before throwing in the towel.