Gareth Anscombe’s dreams of representing Wales again drove his recovery

Gareth Anscombe says the possibility of playing Test rugby again was “a big driver” for him as he fought his way back from a second major injury.

The Gloucester fly-half looks likely to be involved when Wales kick off their Autumn Nations Series campaign against Fiji on Sunday.

Anscombe has seen three years of his career wiped out after a knee injury sidelined him from 2019 to 2021, before a groin problem suffered during the 2023 World Cup meant another 12 months in the international wilderness.

The groin issue, which happened barely an hour before kick-off of Wales’ pool game against Georgia, also ended his hopes of playing for Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath, who cancelled Anscombe’s registration.

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Such setbacks would have finished many players, but Anscombe’s resilience has helped underpin a return to the Wales squad for an autumn schedule that also features appointments with Australia and South Africa.

And the 33-year-old’s experience – he made his Test debut nine years ago – will be key in a Wales squad that contains 17 players with single-figure caps.

“It was a big driver for me, getting back (with Wales),” Anscombe told the PA news agency.

“While I am still playing rugby, I feel I can add something at this level. I am still very competitive, and no doubt that competitive nature has driven me to get back here.

“I still feel like when I am playing my best rugby I can really play well at this level and help lead this side around, particularly when you look around and realise the amount of changes there have been in the last 18 months.”

Wales have won one Test match since 37 times-capped Anscombe last featured, and a loss against Fiji would equal an all-time low of 10 successive defeats recorded in 2002 and 2003.

“I think there is a lot of talent here, without question,” Anscombe added.

“I have found at this level that when you can get a bit of momentum and a sense of belief, it is amazing how far you can go.

“It is tough when you have some close losses – it sort of eats away at you – but I think if we can get some more things right over these next few weeks then we are certainly capable of picking up a few wins.

“We’ve spoken about it as a group about not being satisfied with just putting in a decent performance that gets us close.

“It is about time we put our hands up and say we need to win a couple of Tests, and I think this group is starting to understand that.”

If, as expected, Anscombe returns on Sunday, it will be testament to his powers of mental and physical recovery.

And he still has plenty to offer at the highest level, with his experience being crucial in a squad currently low on caps and mileage on the clock.

“The nature of the injuries I’ve had have been fairly significant,” Anscombe said.

“I have always had to work pretty hard to get myself physically where I need to be. I am hopeful that playing week on week, and staying injury-free, I can build my robustness back up.

“If you want to keep playing the game you have to find a way to get yourself back. I have learnt that I have to be really smart and diligent in my week.

“You can’t just train for the sake of it, you have got to make sure you get some real quality over quantity. I’ve probably learnt that in the last six months.”

Anscombe and his family are now based in Cheltenham, and life is good as part of a Gloucester set-up where the emphasis is on attacking, try-scoring rugby.

“To play most of the games and get some minutes, I have really enjoyed, and hopefully in the next block of games I can start building a real consistent run of performances,” he said.

“I have really enjoyed it. It has been quite a refreshing move for me and my family, particularly having gone another season without playing rugby.

“I always wanted to test myself in the Premiership, and the support we get is amazing at Kingsholm. It is a privilege to be part of it.”