Emery eyes timely return for Turbos
"When I got injured at the start of the year, I was not that worried about it. But once it came around and you thought about that it is every 12 years, I was pretty gutted." Jason Emery on missing the chance to play the British and Irish Lions
The Manawatu Turbos have received a timely piece of positive news with star back Jason Emery on track for a return to rugby midway through their 2017 campaign.
The utility back, who was named Turbos’ back of the year last season, was initially believed to be out for the season after picking up an achilles injury while playing in a Highlanders development match in February.
But four months on from his surgery, Emery confirmed he was now targeting a return during the NPC.
‘‘It is coming along pretty quickly and I should be running in about two weeks,’’ he said. ‘‘I am looking at around round four or five of the Mitre 10 Cup which would be awesome.’’
That would be around seven months on from his surgery.
He admitted he was starting to get itchy feet, but there was another reason spurring on his return to the field - he will be a Super Rugby free agent when the 2017 season wraps up.
‘‘I am off contract so I am not too sure what is going to happen. Once I get on the field then coaches might be keen to sign me up once they see if I can still run and stuff.’’
‘‘That is another thing that added pressure to getting me back to playing. But I am not rushing back, because if I come back at 50 percent, that is going to be no good either.’’
Emery has been with the Highlanders since 2013 playing 35 games for the franchise.
He was watching from the sidelines when the Highlanders beat the British and Irish Lions in June. While he was happy for fellow Manawatu men Jackson Hemopo and Kayne Hammington, he admitted it was only during the match he realised the magnitude of the game he had missed playing.
‘‘I watched it from the sideline and it did not hit me until then,’’ he said.
‘‘When I got injured at the start of the year, I was not that worried about it. But once it came around and you thought about that it is every 12 years, I was pretty gutted.’’
Now the focus turns to the Turbos.
He said he would need to be training with the team for four weeks before doctors give him the final tick to get back on the field.
He will register his 50th match for the Turbos in his next outing, an impressive figure for a 23-yearold.
Since his Turbos debut in their first match of 2012, Emery has missed just three games for the province.
But exactly where he will factor into the Turbos backs will remain to be seen.
Up until last year he held a mortgage on the No 13 green and white jersey.
But in 2016, he spent much of the season at fullback.
And that was where Highlanders coach Tony Brown was eyeing for him this year.
‘‘They wanted me to play fullback [at the Highlanders] as well,’’ he said. ‘‘Since Ben Smith has been injured a few times this year, I might have got a bit of game time [if I was not injured]. It is just a bit unlucky the way it goes.’’
But he was not sure where his position would be in the long term.
‘‘I think playing utility is good, anything to get into the team. But starting wise, you want to cement your spot somewhere. I started enjoying fullback after playing for Manawatu. It is kind of like at first five, you get to touch the ball a bit more in second and third phase stuff.’’
Emery’s talent has never been in doubt, but his size (1.73m, 86kg) may put some coaches off lining him up in the centres. Being small is less of an issue at fullback.
There is little doubt of Emery’s talent and potential so if he can prove his fitness on the field, he will surely find a Super Rugby home fairly quickly.