Rhys Patchell's emergence from 'incredibly frustrating' two years as he starts again with rugby

Ask Rhys Patchell whether he ever fell out of love with rugby and he ponders for a couple of seconds before delivering his response.

“Some days, the game doesn’t love you quite as much as you love it,” he replies.

“That is the best way to put that.”

The sport has certainly been pretty cruel to the Scarlets and Wales fly-half over the past couple of injury-ravaged years.

First there was the shoulder damage he suffered at the 2019 World Cup, then a lengthy lay-off with concussion after returning for Wales in the autumn of 2020, followed by “catalogue of soft tissue injuries” to use his own words for the various hamstring and calf issues which derailed his comeback.

Then, when he was finally ready to go again in November, everything was put on hold by a succession of Covid cancellations.

“It was incredibly frustrating,” he admits, looking back.

“I certainly hadn’t anticipated being injured and picking up as many niggles as I did.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been an easy period to live with me or to be around me.

“I was ready to go for a long, long time, from a point of view that I was mentally on the field in terms of being willing to be out there.

“It’s just been the case that my body has got in the way at times. Well most of the time, actually.

“The injuries sort of came at a really frustrating point. You are a couple of days off getting on the field, you have been named in the team in the week and then in the Thursday session or the captain’s run you pick up a niggle and it sets you back.

“I have been ready to go since, goodness me, the middle of October, November.

“I had found a bit of fitness, I played two development games for the club and then every game got cancelled after that. It was really frustrating. I think I trained