The last time he started a rugby match Dan Lydiate was wearing the red of Wales amid the raw intensity of a Six Nations encounter.
It didn’t go well.
Lydiate lasted just 13 minutes before leaving the fray with an injury he later said had "obliterated " his right knee.
Some feared he might not even play again, so serious was the bump for the then 33-year-old.
But, a year on, one of Welsh rugby’s great warriors returned off the bench for the Ospreys when they faced Leinster in the United Rugby Championship recently and he is now set to be part of the squad which takes on Zebre in Swansea on Sunday.
It’s a case of easing his way back, though.
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Anyone looking for bold declarations that he is targeting a Wales recall and with it a spot in Wayne Pivac’s plans heading for the 2023 World Cup has come to the wrong place.
Such pronouncements are not Lydiate’s style.
Instead, the flanker outlines goals which are altogether more modest but still hugely important to him.
Asked if he had ambitions to make it back with his country and potentially feature at one last World Cup, in France next year, he said: “I try not to look too far ahead.
“Eighteen months is a long time in rugby but it will soon come round.
“My current thing is to just get back onto the field.
“My contract is up at the end of the season, so I want to put my best foot forward to show what I can still do.
“I know what I’m capable of when I’ve had a couple of games under my belt, but that’s just my self-belief. I just have to show other people I’m still about.
“I believe what I do is different from what other back-rowers can do, and that’s probably got me where I am in my career, because of what I’ve done in the past.
“It was a big step the other weekend, just getting through a game.
“I’m hoping that going forward I’ll be able to improve, get up to match speed and implement what I feel I can do to help the Ospreys as much as possible from a team perspective.”
One step at a time, then. For a young player coming back from injury, the above words are how a comeback interview should be managed from the perspective of a player. No sweeping statements about grand ambitions which serve only to ratchet up pressure. No looking too far ahead. And a firm commitment to the team that he plays for every week. Reading such comments, a club media officer might find it hard to stop himself from punching the air.
Lydiate has been through a bumpy old time, though, made worse by the uncertainty that every long-haul recovery from injury brings.
“There’s potential for any injury to be the end of the road,” he acknowledged during a media appearance as part of the Guinness ‘Never Settle’ campaign to promote inclusion and diversity.
“But one of the biggest injuries I had was when I was 19 and broke my neck.
“You try to compare every injury you have to how bad your worst one was.
“Don’t get me wrong: blowing out your knee isn’t ideal and it's a long road to recovery. But I still love doing what I do and rugby can be a short career. As long as my mind wants to do it, I’ll keep doing it.”
It didn’t take long for the man Shaun Edwards once described as his favourite player to hit the ground running on his return. Nine tackles in 26 minutes - including a burst of three in 11 seconds as Leinster piled on the pressure - signalled that Lydiate was back, and back in the old routine quicker than anyone had dared to expect.
“It was class,” Lydiate said about getting back on the pitch.
“It’s been a long 12 months with some dark times — and good times along the way, training with the likes of Dewi Lake and George North, with the three of us forming a rehab crew.
“Being surrounded by good people helps.
“The physio staff at the Ospreys have been second to none and the conditioners as well.
“So I’ve had a good support network when family and friends are included as well.
“I almost didn’t think about it too much amid the disruption of the day before with the storms that were raging at the time.
“It was just nice to come through it.
“When you are on the field, you almost switch off from aches and pains or any worries you may have about injuries, because the game is so fast that you don’t have time. You just try to make an impact in a positive way, especially as a replacement because everyone’s a bundle of energy coming off the bench, even though that can be to your detriment sometimes.
“The older I am now, it’s about trying to have a cooler head and trying to make sure you make a positive impact rather than costing the team.”
It is that kind of experience and wisdom which underlines why Lydiate is so valued by all who play alongside him and coach him.
It's good to see him back.
Dan Lydiate was speaking on behalf of Guinness, alongside teammates Justin Tipuric and George North. Guinness is working with its partners to make sure rugby is inclusive and welcoming for everyone. To find out more visit www.guinness.com/neversettle #neversettle
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