Dell pain free following his year from hell

ALLAN DELL was living the dream when he received a late call-up to the British and Irish Lions’ 2017 tour of New Zealand. No sooner had the Edinburgh star returned to home soil, however, than he was plunged into an injury nightmare which saw him undergo two major operations. Now, after admitting he has been playing through the pain barrier for nearly a year, the loose-head prop is targeting a return to top form for club and country after finally feeling free of discomfort. ‘It was only two weeks ago that the pain totally went as it had been there for a long time, so I’ve been able to run a lot more,’ said Dell, who had a back operation last August and required another on his groin two months later. The surgery was successful in both cases but the pain lingered throughout Scotland’s summer tour and for the first three games of the current Pro14 season, where he featured off the bench. ‘I’m getting my fitness up, getting the contact side of the game up to standard,’ he said. ‘Playing without that discomfort and pain after such a long time is great. I’m starting to feel like a young buck again. ‘The stuff that happened after the Lions tour, injury wise, was extremely disappointing. ‘My body wasn’t kind to me. ‘I’m 26 but my body felt a lot older, more like someone in their 40s.’ Dell’s return to painfree fitness is perfect timing for Edinburgh, with South African prop Pierre Schoeman banned for Friday’s visit of the Cheetahs and the European games against Montpellier and Toulon. ‘I want to slowly get back to form,’ said Dell. ‘I’m now enjoying my rugby but I’m still a long way off where I want to be.’