Greggains geared for action after injury layoff
NOBODY is missing rugby more than Lennon Greggains and nobody is working harder in lockdown to be ready for when the game re-emerges.
The 2019-20 season was due to be his breakthrough campaign, but 30 minutes into the opening match of the Celtic Cup in Galway on August 23 he ruptured his ACL and was condemned to up to nine months on the sidelines.
Under normal circumstances that would have ruled the former Wales U20 star out for the season, but now there is a chance he could play if the PRO14 resumes this summer.
He was given a re-start date in May and is raring to go again.
“I’m excited about getting my name out there again. I’m back running now and I’m hoping to come back in the best physical shape of my life,” said the 21-year-old Greggains.
“I put on about 10kgs to begin with after the operation, and was starting to look big and chunky, but my weight has dropped since I was able to start running again. I went up to 113kg (17st 8lbs) at my heaviest during my re-hab, but now I’m feeling comfortable at 106kg (16st 7lbs).
“I’ve been out of action for almost eight months and I was initially given a return to play date in May. I’m just doing everything I can to make that happen.”
While he was supporting from the sidelines, his former Wales U18 and U20 back row colleague Taine Basham was tearing it up in the PRO14 and European Challenge Cup. So much so, in fact, he got a call-up to Wayne Pivac’s Welsh squad.
While Basham has been the talk of Welsh rugby this season, his name has always been synonymous with Greggains as the two of them have come up through the ranks.
Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan may not have seen Greggains play in the flesh as yet, but he is aware of his quality.
“I got a text from Dean last summer after Wales U20 had beaten New Zealand at the Junior World Cup and then I was given a new contract while I was recovering from my injury,” said Greggains.
“That filled me with confidence. Dean has had a chat with me every day at the club and I intend to do whatever I can to prove to him I can make it at the top level.
“The Dragons had a much improved season under him and it is a really tight squad. There are a lot of younger players who have come through the ranks together and we are all good mates as well as colleagues and push each other on.”
Ryan already has three Welsh internationals in his back row armoury in Ross Moriarty, Aaron Wainwright and Ollie Griffiths, while Basham is pushing that trio hard for a starting place.
Harrison Keddie, the star of the 2015 Grand Slam Wales U20 side, the evergreen Lewis Evans and former England U20 World Cup winner Huw Taylor are also all still in the mix.
But now that Greggains is ready to step back into the fray everything could be shaken up still further. He wants to make up for lost time.