Munster hooker Niall Scannell has admitted he feared for his career during his lengthy injury layoff earlier this season, but is feeling back to his best as the province enter the business end of the season.
Scannell has played just four competitive games this season due to the groin injury he suffered in pre-season, which kept him sidelined until mid-January.
The 31-year-old made a timely return in the Champions Cup pool game away to Toulon, and steadied a struggling Munster lineout as his side picked up their first win of the competition.
And he says their victory in the south of France was even more special on a personal level.
"I'm just delighted to be back playing," he said.
"Toulon was just a huge day for me. Genuinely six weeks earlier I wasn't sure if I was going to play again."
The veteran hooker had suffered the groin injury in pre-season, with the issue eventually leading to a six-month layoff after multiple setbacks.
And while he says the issue of retirement was never fully discussed by the Munster medical team, he added that his rehab struggles left him wondering if he would ever get back on the pitch.
"We tried a few things and they didn't work. There was definitely a period when I thought, 'I won't get better'.
"I just didn't really respond great to what would be the traditional groin osteitis pubis treatments.
"There were more mental challenges and it was tough at times. It was just that it was going on for so long. It's something that probably shouldn't be a six month injury, and when you're trying to get back and it's not happening, then you try a second and third time to go running and it's just not holding up, you start to think 'what's going on here, why isn't it recovering?'.
And he credits the Munster medical team for getting him back to full fitness.
"To be fair to them they went outside the box and did a few different things and it just clicked then near the end.
"It was just great when we rolled the dice that time that it panned out well. And then all of a sudden I felt like I've gone months and months hammering my head against the wall to then progressing really quickly."
When Scannell did return, his presence was badly needed. The province hadn't won in four games before that Toulon trip, while their other first-team regular hooker Diarmuid Barron had recently joined the lengthy injury list with a foot issue.
The Ireland international's return saw improvements in Munster's setpiece, but admits he was struggling for match fitness, something he's been able to catch up on during the Six Nations window.
"I probably came back at the right time to fill that gap and then the broken up few weeks probably helped me integrate back into full training because the Toulon and Northampton block was by no means full training, it was kind of bandage me up and get me through, which was fine.
"And then the Six Nations block has been brilliant, it allowed me to get back.
"Like, I did my first completely full training last week and trained fully this week, so I feel like it's coming at the right time where I'm in the routine.
"I've come back from injury before and because you've watched so much rugby and you're so eager, you go out thinking, 'I'm going to win man of the match here'.
"Then you realise after five minutes that's just not going to happen and you're nearly in survival mode," he added.
The province return to BKT United Rugby Championship tomorrow looking for their third league win in a row, and fifth victory on the trot if you include the friendlies against Crusaders and Harlequins during the international window.
Having beaten Scarlets and Zebre most recently, they face a step up in class away to an in-form Ospreys tomorrow night, knowing a win will keep them well in the hunt for a home quarter-final later in the season.
Munster are sixth in the table, but with just five points separating Edinburgh in fourth from the Lions in 11th, there's no margin for error.
"It's been made clear to us that it's huge for us in terms of points, we have to climb up the league table and Ospreys are in the very same position as us so they'll be thinking the exact same thing," Scannell said.
"They're at home, they've won a lot at home, it's a long time since they've lost in the Liberty Stadium. I've played there a lot of times and I know it's a hard place to go and win so I think we'll just be looking at the physical elements of it, getting our job right and allowing our attack game plan to thrive.
"But we're also aware they have a seriously good defence, they have made an absolute load of turnovers in the league so that's going to be a huge challenge to us to retain the ball.
"So we're under no illusions how strong a team they are, it's going to be a big challenge but one we're looking forward to because we have to take points out of it."
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