Wales forward Georgia Evans is raring to go for the Six Nations little more than a year after the harrowing injury which left doctors warning she could lose her arm.
Evans, who has won 11 caps for her country since her debut in 2019, it set to feature in her side's opening game against Ireland this Saturday. And the 26-year-old has now reflected on her remarkable recovery after her arm was trapped in a collision whilst playing for Saracens in February 2022.
The action was paused for almost an hour while Evans received urgent medical attention. She was later diagnosed with a broken radius and ulna, as well as her dislocated wrist, leaving doctors fearing the worst.
"Inside the medical room they were concerned they couldn’t find a pulse in my wrist and so decided they had to re-set my wrist," Evans revealed this week, via Wales Online. "The worry was that I could lose my arm."
She underwent surgery 48 hours later, and had metal plates and screws inserted into her left forearm. The injury forced her out of the 2022 Six Nations, but the former Pontyclun Falcons player incredibly recovered in time to appear as a late replacement in Saracens' Premier 15s final win over Exeter Chiefs.
She was also named in the Welsh squad for the World Cup last October, and Evans admitted the speed of her rehabilitation took her by surprise: "It's a bit crazy that it's been a whole year," she added. "When it happened, it felt like my world had ended. I thought the World Cup was over. Every bad thought goes through your head. It felt longer than it was, it was only 13 weeks essentially."
The Welsh side are out to improve on their 2022 showing, where they had wins over Ireland and Scotland. And despite all the ongoing turmoil currently engulfing the WRU, there is fresh reason for optimism with Evans one of 25 players on full-time professional contracts this year, after they were first introduced in 2022.
And Evans, who opted to remain in Pontypridd. as a 16-year-old and live with her grandparents after her dad was offered a job in Abu Dhabi, says bother her - and the team - are raring to go: "It feels like a long time coming with the girls, I'm really excited to be back in, the vibe is brilliant," he said. "I've still got lots more to prove and I still want to learn to make sure I'm the best version of myself. There's a lot more to come from me."
Also on Saturday, reigning Grand Slam champions England host Scotland at Kingston Park in Newcastle. Italy then host France on Sunday, with the tournament given it's own block after previously running parallel to the men's version.
