Fit-again Franks raring to go joining Dagg in Crusaders starting side

Owen Franks accepted surgery was inevitable when the painkillers failed to do their job.

For five years the All Blacks tighthead prop, who will make his first Super Rugby appearance of the year when the Crusaders play the Sunwolves in Christchurch on Saturday night, put up with discomfort in both Achilles tendons. Medication helped numb the pain until he finally came to the realisation he could not longer ignore the symptoms. So it was after his 95th test for the All Blacks, against the Wallabies in Sydney last August, that Franks, 30, decided to ask a surgeon to fix the problem.

‘‘It got to the point where I said ‘I am not doing my job properly at training’. You are trying to take too many painkillers and antiinflams to get things right and they really had no effect in the end,’’ Franks said.

‘‘When it gets to that point, it is ‘OK we will do something a bit more drastic’.’’

n operation on his left Achilles was imminent. He also required extensive rehab on his other leg, too.

Until he played for his Linwood club in recent weeks, Franks had to spend almost eight months away from the sport.

‘‘The pain-scale of what I was dealing with before [the operation] – it wasn’t even close,’’ he said after getting 50 minutes for Linwood.

‘‘Probably I really started noticing it in 2013. It [the pain] would come on every now and then, flare up. And then over the last two or three years, consistently. Annoying.’’

Getting the opportunity to spend more time with his young family was appreciated. So, too, was supporting the team.

During his time in the rehabmode, Franks worked on increasing the strength in his calves and working on the ‘‘mechanics’’ of his running style.

● Meanwhile, Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has rotated his side against the win-less Sunwolves and All Black Israel Dagg makes his comeback from a knee problem to start on the wing.

Nine changes have been made to the team that started in the 40-14 win over the Jaguares on April 8. Skipper Sam Whitelock has been rested, and Matt Todd will lead the side instead.