Anscombe close to bringing an end to his injury nightmare
WALES fly-half Gareth Anscombe hopes to play in the Rainbow Cup with the Ospreys, bringing to an end an injury nightmare that has seen him sidelined for 19 months and counting.
The 27-cap player hasn’t been seen on the field since damaging knee ligaments playing for Wales against England at Twickenham in August 2019, his time on the sidelines meaning he missed the last World Cup.
But he isn’t far from a return. The Ospreys reckon he could be back for the Rainbow Cup, the new competition that’s due to be contested by PRO14 teams and four South African sides, the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers, between April 17 and June 19.
Answering questions at the region’s midweek press call, Ospreys head coach Toby Booth said of the 29-year-old Anscombe: “He’s 200 yards from me now, doing some running drills.
“He starts on his skills programme, so the signs are encouraging. It’ll be good to see. Ideally, getting him out there for the Rainbow Cup would be awesome.”
The news will be throughout Welsh rugby.
Anscombe had worked hard to prepare for the 2019 World Cup, only to see his hopes of participating take a direct hit when he left the pitch in agony during a tournament warmup encounter in London.
His worth to Wales could be seen from Warren Gatland’s post-tournament comments when the New Zealander stressed how much his squad could have done with the creative welcomed and clever Anscombe, who had dovetailed superbly with Dan Biggar during the Grand Slam campaign earlier in the year.
“That was the first time in my whole time that I felt we really missed a player and that was Gareth Anscombe,” Gatland said back then. “He was a big loss for us. “Rhys Patchell did really well for us and Dan Biggar was excellent.
“But I just felt that the balance we had with Anscombe and Biggar beforehand, they complimented each other really well. They’re different types of players and you’re able to use them differently and use your strengths differently.
“It was the first time in my entire coaching career I felt that the loss of one player had a real effect.”
The ex-Cardiff Blue has since undergone three bouts of surgery in a determined bid to return. He has shown huge fortitude along the way, and, earlier this year, he jogged for the first time since his injury.