Injury layoff has been character building for Willis
DETERMINED Wasps flanker Jack Willis aims to put his bid for a World Cup place with England back on track after a remarkable recovery from injury.
When Willis, 22, collapsed after rupturing an ACL during last May’s Premiership semi-final at Saracens, it not only wrecked his hopes of a first cap on England’s tour of South Africa but cast doubt over his chances of playing at all this season.
However, after defying medical opinion to return against Sale a fortnight ago, Willis told The Rugby
Paper: “The surgeon said the injury could take up to 13 months but that the quickest I could do it was between nine and 12.
“Straight away, I was setting my sights on getting myself back as soon as possible but I wanted to feel ready. It was such a longterm injury that I didn’t want to rush it and go straight back into the physio room, but it’s gone pretty well.
“Wasps have been great and I wasn’t ever rushed into anything, but I’ve come back in just under nine months and I’m ready again now. People have come back stronger from ACLs and I feel it’s definitely strengthened my character.”
Reliving the moment last May when he realised his immediate Test hopes had been dashed, Willis added: “When something like that hits you, at the beginning it’s just a bit of a shock for a couple of days and doesn’t really sink in.
“But once you’ve had the operation and you’re in pain, lying with your feet up for 50 minutes of every hour, it does. I was in bed for three weeks and in a wheelchair for another five or six after that because I had an ankle op as well.
“They were probably the toughest times and what made it harder to accept was missing out on the South Africa tour. Watching the games knowing I could have been out there as part of the tour, it would have been amazing.
“When the England callup came it was a massive positive but within a couple of weeks I was having two operations so it was a real rollercoaster. But once I could start my rehab, it began to feel better and I could get my teeth into it.
“It was a long process but there was a good group of boys with Jimmy Gopperth, Alex Rieder and Marcus Garrett havingdone ACLs as well, and Joe Launchbury and Dan Robson popped in with their injuries. We gave each other tips and encouragement so that was a real positive.”
All Willis desires now is to help fire Wasps back into the title race and see if England come calling.
Willis said: “It’s been really tough watching the boys every week knowing you don’t have any influence in what’s going on.
“There was a lot of talk of players coming and going and results weren’t going our way, but a lot of that has been put to bed now. New signings are being made and we’re focussing on getting as high up the league as possible.
“For me, it’s just about cracking on with Wasps and enjoying being out there again. I’ve got a lot of hard work to put in here at the club and that’s my sole focus.
“If I’m not playing well here, England is out of sight completely. If it comes again, it would be fantastic to have that call, but for now I’m just trying to play as well as I can for the club, who were good to me during my injury.”