GAME IN FOCUS
Sarah Rendell takes a weekly look at some important women players
Gloucester-Hartpury hooker Connie Powell sustained an ankle injury in the first game of the Premier 15s season and says being on the sidelines was ‘tough’.
Powell had to rehab her injury for five months while watching her club compete in the most competitive season in the league’s history. Her wait to return to the pitch came to an end in March as she played in Gloucester’s 38-7 victory over DMP Durham Sharks.
The 20-year-old says: “It was really, really tough if I’m honest. You keep going because you love it so much, you want to get back playing. It seemed like a long old time. Last season getting cancelled because of Covid, working hard in that period at home on your own. To come for pre-season, to play your first game and get injured for the rest of the season wasn’t great.
“[Being back on the pitch] was a bit daunting. It almost felt surreal because I hadn’t played for so long. But I was confident in my rehab and so excited to play.”
While Gloucester are outside of the top four so cannot win the title, Powell says the club are aiming to end the season on a high.
They play Exeter Chiefs in their final match and the game will be a challenge as Susie Appleby’s team have been firing on all cylinders this season.
Powell says: “I think we are focusing on ourselves and to end the season on a high. Going to play Exeter away is always a challenge, they’ve been in great form this season.
“But we’re just focusing on us and what we need to work on and carrying that belief to them.” Powell, who is a coach outside of playing, has aspirations of playing for England and has turned to some of the internationals who play for Gloucester for advice. She adds: “Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt and Zoe Aldcroft would definitely be my go-to for that.
“Zoe’s such a good role model for all the players around her, she leads by what she does and what she says. She is definitely such a great person to have in the team.
“Mo just has so much experience so she is such a good sounding board about anything. They are both really good role models.”