RHYS’S RELIEF AT FIRST GAME
FOR all the frustrations of the past 12 months, Rhys Patchell has managed to retain a sense of perspective.
As such, he is adopting the same measured approach now he has finally returned to action.
The Scarlets and Wales fly-half was out of the game for more than a year due to first concussion and then hamstring and calf problems amid a series of setbacks.
“It’s been frustrating, that’s the word I’d use, frustrating as it was one small injury after the other instead of a major injury,” he said.
“But clearly for some reason the body wasn’t ready and at my grand old age of 28 I have sort of come to the conclusion that when your body is ready it will let you know and you will be able to get on with what you’ve got to do.
“Until it’s comfortable that it will be robust enough, then for some reason it seems to hold you back.”
Patchell made his long-awaited comeback on Friday night when he set up two tries for winger Ryan Conbeer with pinpoint cross-kicks in a 29-10 victory over the Dragons in a friendly at Rodney Parade.
“It was good. It is just nice to be back on the field,” he said.
“I just sat there and managed a couple of minutes to myself when I came off the field, thinking ‘Yeah, great, happy, you’re back’.
“Not back in terms of performance but back in terms of first one under the belt and up and running again.
“I probably wasn’t running the best by the end of the 60 minutes, but I’m off the mark and that’s the key. It’s something to build on.
“I think I appreciate the game a bit more now.
“It sounds cheesy, but after time away from the game I feel like that.
“You appreciate the drive-in and the pre-match nerves that little bit more than you might have done, where you took it for granted when playing every week and your body was robust.
“If you think of the likes of Ellis Jenkins and Gareth Anscombe, who are back playing international rugby, both of them say the same thing, that they feel lucky and privileged to be a part of rugby.
“Everyone has their good and bad days, but you have to put some sort of perspective on the situation.
“A lot of people I know have gone through difficult times over the past few years, a few close friends have gone through difficult times as well.”
Despite his protracted lay-off, the 21-cap Patchell never feared he might not get back out on the park.
“You’ve just got to accept that it’s one of those things,” he said.
“It was frustrating the more that it sort of dragged on, the more you see games and weeks pass by.
“But ultimately you’ve got to back that you will get back on the field and thankfully I am off the mark now.”
Along with his rehab, Patchell also kept himself busy during his time out. “I have done a bit more reading and it was a good opportunity to get some stuff off field, a couple of qualifications, and I did a bit on TV as well,” he said.
“I did the level 3 player to coaching with the Union. That was excellent. I am pleased I have got that done.
“I always knew in the back of my head it was a filler to take my mind off the monotony of rehab until I could get back out there.”
Patchell has coached the juniors at CRICC in Cardiff and is now involved with the Cardiff Harlequins senior side.
“I help out now and then,” he said. “It’s a great club and I very much enjoy my time down there.
“It keeps you in rugby, but it’s also a bit frustrating because you see what you want to be doing, but there you are, I’m off the mark now.”