Ken Owens admits he didn’t know if he’d play professional rugby again as he prepares to face the All Blacks this weekend.
The Scarlets hooker is back in the Wales squad after 11 months out of the game with a back injury. His injury nightmare began, ironically, ahead of last year’s clash with New Zealand - when Owens was forced to pull out of the side just half-an-hour after it was named.
Since then, he’s fought hard to get back onto the pitch - first in the Welsh Premiership, then the Scarlets and now, selection permitting, for Wales this Saturday. His last match in a Welsh jersey came back in the Grand Slam decider against France in March 2021.
