Ask Keelan Giles for detail about the injuries he has suffered in the last few years and he’ll take a brief pause to make sure he gets it all right.
The fact he has to give it a moment’s thought, just to get the order accurate, tells you everything you really need to know about the journey he has endured in the last five years. After bursting onto the scene with 11 tries in his first seven professional matches – and earning a call-up to the Wales squad – disaster struck in a 2017 clash with the Dragons. That was his first serious knee injury and a reconstruction was required.
A year on the sidelines followed but then another mighty setback came. He suffered knee ligament damage in the opposite limb in a 2019 fixture against Benetton. Another 450 days on the sidelines. Oh, and he’s had his hamstring "tightened". Still aged only 24, the one-time BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year nominee has had his fair share of challenges.
