'Every day for 11 months I wished I could play a game' - Thornbury keen to make up for lost time

When Gavin Thornbury went for shoulder surgery last summer, it was meant to be a simple clean-up job.

The Connacht second row had been playing through the pain in the second half of the season, a "wear-and-tear" injury that was starting to take its toll.

In spite of the injury, he was putting together the best rugby of his career for Andy Friend's side, with many suggestions that the 6ft 7in lock could be a contender for an Irish call-up in the summer games against Japan and USA.

Those international chances were scuppered by his shoulder surgery, but at the time neither he nor Friend were majorly concerned. He'd go under the knife in May and be back firing in pre-season.

Those were the best laid plans. An initial outlook of 12 weeks turned into 11 months, Thornbury finally making his comeback against Benetton in the United Rugby Championship at the start of this month.

"It was incredibly frustrating," the Dublin native said this week, as Connacht prepare for the second game of their South African tour against the Sharks on Saturday.

"It was wear and tear, but it was getting worse to be honest. There wasn't much more I could have done. I had to get it done unfortunately, and then it kind of went from bad to worse as I went through the months. But we're here now and it's not too bad.

"I'd start doing a rugby session and there would be a set-back and it would be another couple of months. It is incredibly frustrating.

"You just want to play and help the squad and especially with the coaches coming in, Pete [Wilkins] stepping up and the two lads [Colm Tucker and Mossy Lawler] coming in and Dewald [Senekal] coming in as well, you want to be involved.

"I was in a good run of form and I was loving playing. I played 19 games I think last