Perry persistent
There’s unlikely to be any clauses in Tim Perry’s contract that state he has to love injections.
Yet when it was recommended he undergo a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) procedure to fix a painful Achilles tendon problem, he must have been so feverish to get a shot of the good stuff that he would have welcomed the sight of the needle.
Because the All Blacks and Crusaders loosehead prop has had a wretched run with injuries since 2014.
But first things first. His latest complaint involved an inflamed Achilles tendon that caused no shortage of grief, and - not surprisingly - he was desperate to get it fixed.
The recommendation was that he go down the PRP track. Was he up for it? Too right, he was.
‘‘They spin your blood cells and then inject it back in - get the plasma out of it,’’ Perry said. ‘‘It takes a while for it to work, five days off your feet.
‘‘It was more of a just a niggle that I had for a while, and it was getting real painful. I wasn’t too sure how I was going to fix it, and luckily a couple of injections worked.’’
Against the Brumbies in Canberra tonight the 29-year-old will make his fifth consecutive start for the Crusaders. Which is a big deal when you consider he has never strung together more than two games in a row in a starter’s jersey since joining the Crusaders from the Blues in 2014.
Here’s another insight as to how bad this run of injuries has been. That season was also the last time he was named in a run-on side in Super Rugby.
A ruptured Achilles tendon limited him to a single outing as a replacement in 2015, he missed the whole of the 2016 season because of a serious knee injury, and last year he wore a substitute’s number on three occasions.
At least Perry didn’t have to go far if he felt the need to seek a conversation about his predicament.
His father Tim, who played one game for the All Blacks in 1980, had to deal with similar issues with his Achilles tendon in his playing days. Then there’s tighthead prop Owen Franks, who had surgery last year on his left tendon and required significant rehabilitation on his right one too.
‘‘Dad had trouble with a couple of his when he was playing, so I don’t know if it is hereditary,’’ Perry said.
‘‘There is a lot of load going through them. Some people just have a bit of trouble with them, some don’t, I guess.’’
Being mentally resilient is paramount when dealing with injuries.
Perry knows all about that. The former shepherd loves the land, and outdoor pursuits, but as a professional rugby player he just wants to be involved in contact.
Nine starts for Tasman in the Mitre 10 Cup last year boosted his confidence, and then came the callup to the All Blacks and two appearances against the Barbarians in London and a French XV in Lyon on the northern tour.
Given the high attrition rate of looseheads, it’s possible he can add to his outings for the All Blacks this season. Injuries to Kane Hames (concussion), Atu Moli (quadriceps problem) and the retirement of Wyatt Crockett from tests, have potentially cleared a path ahead of the series against France in June.
Perry shouldn’t be caught unawares if asked to join. When All Blacks manager Darren Shand invited him into the national squad last year, he thought it was a joke. ‘‘I thought it was a mate playing a prank on me. Then it sort of became a reality, something I could make happen if I worked hard.’’