On just another normal Friday night in Bridgend, some 433 days of waiting finally ended. The 'man in the blue hat' returned.
Not since June 2021, when the British and Irish Lions took on Japan in Edinburgh, had Justin Tipuric been seen on a rugby field. A shoulder injury suffered that day has kept him out of action for 14 months.
His long-awaited return to action, in a pre-season friendly against Northampton Saints at the Brewery Field, provided as much of a fanfare as such an occasion can reasonably muster. The 33-year-old led the Ospreys out to a strong ovation from the home crowd, while he received a similar response when he departed before the hour mark.
