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 something like 13 weeks on the bounce and there were no games.
“But there we are, that’s how it goes.
“The journey to regain fitness has been longer than I had anticipated, but, touch wood, I’ve got all my injuries out of the way in one very long go.
“The games are going to come thick and fast now and hopefully I can stay on the field and contribute to what we are doing here.”
Things certainly do seem to be moving in the right direction again for the 21-cap Patchell, who has featured in four of the Scarlets’ last five games and produced some classy cameos.
“I would say I appreciate it a lot more now,” he said.
“I appreciate the match-day nerves a lot more, knowing that at some point they won’t be there anymore and that buzz will have to be replaced by something else.
“Did I lose love for the game? I got frustrated with the game, that’s for sure.
“But I think if I wasn’t playing, I would be coaching or involved in the game in some capacity.
“I tried to stay in the game when I was frustratingly on the sidelines.”
Patchell did that with some media work and by helping out on the coaching front with both the Scarlets Academy and Cardiff Harlequins, while also completing his WRU player to coach qualifications.
“That was brilliant,” he said.
“I really enjoyed the course. I thought it was really worthwhile.
“It’s a lot around understanding coaching and how you structure training.
“I also did a bit of charity work with the Sion Mullane Foundation, which is very close to my heart. It’s a foundation we set up in memory of my mate and the aim is to raise funds and help the social mobility of young people in Wales.
“The biggest part of my time off was rehab and generally trying to support the boys here, to be of use around the place and help the younger players in the squad.”
Patchell has also had his future to consider during his spell on the sidelines, with his contract up at the end of this season.
He was linked with a possible move across the border to England, but has opted to stay with the Scarlets - who he joined from Cardiff Blues in 2016 - with a new deal being announced last week.
“I am delighted to have a job next year more than anything,” he said.
“I have been quite fortunate in my career generally. I have known where I am going to be before Christmas and that’s been a real weight lifted off the shoulders going into the tail end of the season, whereas this time was a bit different.
“Ultimately, you can have the best agent in the world, but if you are not on the field doing the business, it’s very difficult to sell yourself.
“Fortunately for me, getting back on the field came at a good time with regards to that.
“I had absolute faith that once I got on the field and had a run of games I would be able to deliver and contribute to an organisation, and, fortunately, that organisation is the Scarlets.
“I am pleased to be sticking around and contributing to what we are building here and the future success we’re all striving for.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed being back on the field with the boys these past few weeks.”
Given the length of time he spent out of action, one wonders whether he has noticed any changes to the sport now he is back out there.
“The game is always moving on,” said the 28-year-old, who will be up against Glasgow at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday evening.
“We might be the only sport in the world that changes the laws every year!
“So there is the odd thing to grapple with.
“I am very much enjoying the 50:22. That’s been a real success of the law trial and I hope it stays in because it really forces you to think about the game differently.
“Now everybody understands the value of it, the game is becoming a bit more like chess.
“You’ve got to shape the back-field in order to open up that opportunity.”
That’s Rhys Patchell for you. A real thinker on the game and someone you can imagine making a real success of coaching once he hangs up his boots.
But, happily, those boots are firmly back on now as he looks to make up for lost time.
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