After a year on the sidelines, Tipuric is ready to start thinking about his return
IT seemed so innocuous at the time and happened without most people noticing.
The setting was Murrayfield, almost exactly 12 months ago, and all the focus was on Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones who had earlier left the field in obvious pain during the warm-up match against Japan. With the tour of South Africa just around the corner, the headlines were written.
So when fellow Ospreys and Wales forward Justin Tipuric also departed a few minutes later, it passed by without too much mention, especially as he didn’t appear to be in anything like as much discomfort.
Yet while second row Jones was to miraculously return from his dislocated shoulder inside a month to lead the Lions in the Test series against the Springboks, it was to be a very different story for Tipuric.
Not only was the flanker to miss the tour of South Africa but the whole of the following season as it became apparent just how serious his injury was.
We were to learn he had shattered his scapula, damage more akin to what you would normally sustain in a road traffic accident rather than on a pitch.
Indeed, it was described by Ospreys coach Toby Booth as “an injury rugby has never seen before”.
A year has now passed since that fateful afternoon in Edinburgh on June 26, 2021.
But, finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the 85-cap openside. He is back doing contact training with the Ospreys and is looking forward to returning to action next season.
Up until now, he hasn’t spoken much at all about his injury, but with the worst behind him he is ready to reflect on just what he has been through, starting with the incident itself.
“I knew it was sore after I took the bang. But then I remember Biggs put a kick up and I couldn’t lift my arm up in the air. One of the things when you are on a rugby field, since I was younger, is probably not showing you are hurt. If you see someone is hurt, you try and run at them. So I was trying to put a brave face on it basically and show I wasn’t too bad,” he said.
“You always hope it isn’t too serious, but it was a bit of a bad one as it turned out. It’s just one those things and unfortunately just part of this silly old game that we play.”
This is the longest the Trebanos product has been out of this “silly old game” since he first burst on the scene as a teenager, so how has he found life on the sidelines?
“It’s probably more the team side of it you miss. When you are in the injured group, there is obviously just a handful of you. You miss being around the team. It’s about being around the changing room every day and having the mickey taken out of you and whatever it is really.
“But there probably have been some positive things as well, as in family time.
“As a rugby player, you love your job but you are away from home quite a bit.
So you try to take advantage of being out for such a long time, in terms of being able to spend time with the young family that I have got. “So I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom.
“I have been able to watch rugby and do analysis and keep learning in that way as well, so I’m not left too far behind when I put my boots back on.”
After his lengthy absence, it was great to see Tipuric back out on the field at the Ospreys’ Llandarcy training base, being put through his paces.
So just how is his body and, in particular, that shoulder holding up?
“I had a fitness test done today, so I was blowing out there a bit! I have done quite a bit of contact work and it’s feeling good. As of next week, I will be back in with the boys.
“We are building up and we are not
far off full on. So I would imagine going back in with them it will be full on from the start.
It’s been just over a year now out injured, so I am looking forward to getting back round the team and trying to learn a few things.”
Tipuric, who turns 33 in August, is set to be available again for the start of next season and is optimistic about the future for the Ospreys, where he is team captain.
“It’s probably one of the best squads we have had for a while in terms of strength in depth in every position. It’s a good few years since we have had that. It’s exciting and I am looking forward to it.”
The Ospreys will be Wales’ sole representative in the Heineken Champions
Cup, having finished highest of the four pro teams in the United Rugby Championship, and they now know their group opponents in Europe will be Leicester and Montpellier, following Tuesday’s draw.
“It’s not bad playing the champions of England and France,” said Tipuric.
“I have never played Montpellier, so I am looking forward to seeing what it’s like over there. They have got big strong men and bossed the Top 14 final against Castres last weekend, playing some good rugby as well.
“Leicester are big, heavy and strong. I know a couple of their boys from the Lions and they said how hard they would have to train. You know it is going to be a tough game when you play any Leicester side.
“You want to play against the best teams as a rugby player and we certainly have two of the best in the world there, so we will be looking forward to it.”
He added: “I remember years ago when I was in the Academy, it was always the pinnacle for the Ospreys to try and win the European Cup.
“Obviously it hasn’t quite happened, but it’s such a difficult competition to win because you are playing against the best teams and best players around in the world. It’s the pinnacle for your team to be champions of Europe and you see why with the teams that are in there.
“If you are top of that, you are definitely one of the best teams in the world.”