Imagine waiting a year to return to the international arena and then having your comeback last just 27 seconds.
That was the fate which befell Ben Carter this summer when he suffered an alarming head injury in the opening minute of Wales’ first Test against Japan in Kitakyushu.
There was real concern as the second row lay prone on the turf having been concussed in attempting a tackle, with the referee immediately stopping play and medical staff rushing to his aid.
He underwent several minutes of treatment before being stretchered off. It was the end of his match and the end of his tour, as he headed home.
But, happily, the 24-year-old is now fully recovered and back with a key role to play as vice-captain of Dragons RFC, who host the Hollywoodbets Sharks at Rodney Parade on Friday night.
Detailing what he recalls of the incident out in Japan, he says:
“I remember going in for the tackle, and it’s a little bit blurry after that. I just caught my temple on his hip.
“It was really frustrating when I look back at all the work that went into the tour.
“It was quite a tough campaign fitness-wise. A lot of work went into preparing for the conditions, the humidity, and the heat.
“Then it was 27 seconds in, and I hit my head. Obviously, I had to come off. I was really well looked after out there, and they got me home.”
It was all the more galling for the 13-cap Carter as it was the second time inside a year that he had been hurt on international duty.
In October of last year, he suffered a knee injury while training with Wales. That meant surgery and a six-month lay-off.
After finally returning to action in April, he forced his way into the squad and then the starting line-up for the tour of Japan, only to suffer further misfortune in the opening Test.
“I was proud of the work I put in to get back in there,” he said.
“So it was very frustrating what happened, but I’m just looking to go again now and trying not to dwell on it too much.
“I’m excited to hopefully get into a good and successful season.
“I think the main thing is to try and get some domestic success with the Dragons. We have got a real good squad this year and we are all looking forward to it.
“We have recruited well, and it feels like there’s a lot more experience around the group. We have still got a lot of exciting youngsters as well, so there’s a nice balance.
“It’s been good so far, and hopefully we can get a few wins to really galvanise the group.
“We are not trying to talk about previous years too much. This is a different year, there’s a lot of new people, a lot of change. We have just got to build some confidence.”
With 67 appearances for the Dragons under his belt, the 6ft 5ins Carter is now a pretty seasoned campaigner, yet he’s only 24.
“I’ve still got loads more to learn. It’s great to have more experience around to pick things off from,” he says.
“It’s good to get some different ideas and things like that.”
The Caldicot RFC product started out in the back row before moving up to lock at U16s district level.
Progressing to the Dragons Academy, he captained Wales at both U18s and U19s, going on to win further honours with the U20s.
He made his regional debut in November 2020, while still a teenager. Such was the immediate impact he made with his huge work-rate that he went on to win his first senior Wales cap just eight months later, marking the occasion with a Man of the Match display against Canada.
After starting versus South Africa at Twickenham in June 2024, there was then a year’s wait for another taste of Test action amid injury, only for his return to last less than 30 seconds in Japan.
Now, he’s looking to make up for lost time.
