Rewind the clock back to September 2020 and Tomi Lewis was preparing for his first full season of professional rugby with the Scarlets.
The electric back-three player from Gwernyfed near Brecon had just graduated from a Wales U20s side which boasted future internationals in Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell, and Sam Costelow.
Lewis himself was being tipped by many to reach the heights, and according to those who were there, was really looking the part in pre-season.
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There was an expectation on him to make his mark on professional rugby that season, but fate took a cruel twist.
"I was running during pre-season training with the Scarlets, slammed on the breaks which led to me hyperextending my knee, and I ended up damaging my ACL," Lewis tells WalesOnline.
"It was a very painful and nasty injury. It was 50/50 whether I was even going to play again but the rehab was brilliant, and the support the Scarlets gave me was fantastic.
"I didn't come back until January of the 21/22 season with eight games left so I didn't get much game time.
"Along with doing my ACL I had a hamstring graft because I did a grade three tear there. I pretty much blew my whole knee out. It was gutting when it happened.
"Normally it takes between nine to 12 months to recover from an ACL injury but this one took 15 months. I went to top surgeon Andy Williams in London to correct it, and luckily it worked."
It was a cruel blow for the 24-year-old, who has also impressed for Wales on the sevens circuit, and resulted in him getting released by the Scarlets.
But instead of sulking Lewis decided to get his head down and work hard to climb his way back up the professional rugby ladder.
Luckily, he was picked up by English Championship outfit Jersey Reds which proved to be the best move of his career to date.
Lewis was a revelation at his new club, running in 12 tries to fire Jersey to the title which resulted in the Welshman getting selected in the Championship team of the season.
"It was a big decision to go to Jersey after originally finishing with the Scarlets last year," he said.
"It was a good opportunity to play, and get some game time under my belt at a relatively high level. I've grabbed the opportunities.
"I went over there with a positive attitude. I back myself with my speed, and my footwork.
"Tom Williams (Jersey attack coach) gave me the licence to come off my wing and go looking for the ball which I've massively enjoyed doing.
"He gave me confidence with the ball, and giving me free licence to have a go from anywhere. I'm pretty fast, and I think I've got even faster while at Jersey.
"My speed, my agility, and I've worked on that this season."
Lewis' finishing prowess has never been in doubt, neither has his ability to beat an opposition defender on a sixpence, but prior to his move away from Wales there were question marks surrounding his defensive game.
But his time in the Channel Islands has proved hugely beneficial in this regard, aiding Lewis in his quest to develop a better all-round game to complement his ability with the ball.
"I've been working extremely hard with former England hooker Rob Webber, who coaches at Jersey, on my defence," said Lewis.
"He's been working with me one to one in terms of my defence on the edge, helping my one on one tackling, and making good defensive reads.
"I think that's really improved my all-round game. The Championship is a great league for young players to develop.
"I think we all sort of want to play, and we all want to get selected to play at a higher level. It's a great opportunity to play at a very high level.
"You are playing against five professional teams whereas the Welsh Premiership is semi-pro.
"Coming from playing regularly for Llandovery they gave me the licence to play, and played a big role in my development.
"But I think the Championship was a good stepping stone for me from semi-pro back into the United Rugby Championship."
Lewis' form hasn't gone unnoticed in Wales, and he has now earned a second shot with the Scarlets who have decided to bring the 24-year-old back to Llanelli.
Despite the financial challenges facing the four Welsh sides the Scarlets still have a backline brimming with talent.
The likes of Johnny McNicholl, Tom Rogers, Steff Evans, and Ryan Conbeer will be vying for positions in the back-three while multi-talented new signing Ioan Lloyd can also play there.
Lewis is under no illusions how difficult it will be to cement his place in the Scarlets' starting XV, but is confident he has the ability to make a positive mark in west Wales.
"I want to establish myself in the Scarlets first team," he said. "I had a good chat with Dwayne (Peel) about coming back before Christmas, and it felt like a good opportunity for me.
"Things didn't work out when I was there last in terms of playing after coming back from injury. I feel like I've got a big pre-season ahead of me to nail that spot, and to try to push my way into the team."
Lewis believes his attacking style of play, new found confidence, and his improved defensive game can help the Scarlets next season.
"The Scarlets like to express themselves, and their brand of rugby really suits my style," he said.
"I'm looking forward to working with, and hopefully sharing the same field as Johnny McNicholl. He's an attacking player who likes to keep the ball moving, and I feel that suits my game as well, and we could work well together.
"I'm really looking forward to going back to work with him because he had a big influence on me the last time I was at the Scarlets.
"I think I can add a bit of speed, and footwork to the Scarlets back line. I want to give them a cutting edge, and score as many tries as I can."
Wales legend Shane Williams recently singled out Lewis as a player who has the potential to wear the red of Wales in the future. He named him in a Welsh XV of the season and says Lewis is one to really watch for the future.
Shane, it is fair to say, knows a thing or two about Welsh wing play so if he tips Lewis as someone to keep a special eye out for, it's an opinion worth listening to.
Lewis has a fair way to go before scaling the kind of heights Wales' record tryscorer reckons are within his grasp. But he's certainly returning brimming with confidence after his hugely successful spell in England and it will be fascinating to see how he goes back in the red of the Scarlets.
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