Leigh Halfpenny has revealed overcoming the serious knee injury that put him out of the last World Cup has proved tougher than he ever imagined.
The Wales full-back will make his Scarlets debut on Saturday at home to the Southern Kings after moving from Toulon earlier this summer.
His fractious departure from the French club came whilst he was trying to win a Test place with the Lions in New Zealand, but Halfpenny believes his most significant setback in recent times was regaining full fitness.
The 28-year-old missed most of the season before last after tearing ligaments in his right knee on the eve of the 2015 World Cup.
“Coming back from that knee injury was tough – tougher than I ever imagined,” says the player the Scarlets hope can fill the void left by Liam Williams’ move to Saracens.
“It took me a long time to get over it, both emotionally and to get my game back up to speed.
“People say that my attacking game isn’t what it was a while back and I’d have to agree with that. It’s something that I definitely want to bring back into my game and a big reason why I joined the Scarlets.
“I watched them last season and they were just outstanding. They play a very exciting brand of rugby and that’s what I want to bring back into my game.”
That excitement – instinctive as much as coached – was evident when Halfpenny broke into the Wales team as a 19-yearold back in 2008. Primarily used a wing in his early days with Cardiff Blues, his power, acceleration and elusiveness were hallmarks of his game.
Those traits have become harder to detect at full-back for both Toulon and Wales in recent seasons and his selection for this year’s Lions tour was based mostly on his rock solid defence and almost peerless goal-kicking.
Now, though, he wants to wind back the clock within a team that nurtured the same team-wide attributes as they stormed to the Guinness Pro 12 title last season.
“I watched those Scarlets games last season during the run-in to the Pro12 title. They were just fantastic – no-one else could compete with them.
“It was also very attractive to watch and I know that’s something the coaches really encourage.
“I can’t wait to be a part of that – and to help them kick on to more success.”
It’s an upbeat tone that contrasts to Halfpenny’s mood of a few weeks ago when he was discarded by Toulon whilst he was on tour with the Lions.
Having spent three seasons in France, another year had been agreed by both sides until club owner Mourad Boudjellal ripped up the contract.
Boudjellal was irritated by Halfpenny’s decision to put a Lions trip ahead of playing for Toulon in the Top 14 final, even though the player had taken the precaution of writing a release clause into his contract.
Mourad Boudjellal: Pic: Getty Images.“It was a stressful time, because the release was there and everything had been agreed.
“We had also agreed the option for another year with Toulon, but the contract never came through and when I was in New Zealand I had the news that it had been withdrawn.
“That was difficult to deal with, to be honest. When you are trying to focus on the Lions tour and all that is going on in your head, then it’s hard.
“I decided then that I wanted to come back to Wales and the Scarlets just felt like the right choice.”
Halfpenny’s arrival means Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac has a gift – 60 per cent of the player’s national dual contract wages are paid by the Welsh Rugby Union – that he did not anticipate at the end of last season.
Pivac says: “Leigh’s arrival is a bonus in many respects, but I think the way that we play our rugby – and the enjoyment it provides was a big factor in him choosing to come here.
“There are attacking elements to his game we think we can bring out and he just happens to be one of the very best goal-kickers in the world, so it’s not a bad combination.”
