The British and Irish Lions No.8 has been battling back from a broken forearm that limited his game time last season.
He first fractured the bone playing for Bath ahead of last year’s Under Armour Series in the autumn, only to suffer the exact same break on his return against Wasps in January.
It has been over a year since the 28-year-old last pulled on the red jersey, but he is putting in the hard graft at Wales’ Swiss training camp in a bid impress Warren Gatland all over again.
“Hopefully it’s better this time around, I haven’t played a game yet but I’ve been doing some contact with the boys and it’s holding up okay so far,” Faletau said.
“I had the same procedure the second time around, the surgeon put another plate the other side of the bone to strengthen it.
“World Cups are just something you want to be part of. Playing for your country at a World Cup is another level.
“It was more frustrating the second time around because I was looking forward to playing some rugby at the end of the season but it just wasn’t meant to be.
“I’ve done bits and bobs – not quite full on yet – but during the stuff I have done so far it has been okay.
“I didn’t realise at the time but being away from rugby for that amount of time, the hunger is more there now I guess. You are doing it year in, year out – you take it for granted at times.”
Faletau has been eased back into training and has begun to take contact on the right forearm in between gruelling fitness sessions.
While he was undergoing operations and rehabilitation Wales were busy smashing the nation’s record for consecutive wins.
With warm-up games against England and Ireland on the horizon, Faletau is eager to impress. But he knows winning a spot on the plane to Japan this Autumn will be no easy task with the competition for places in the squad.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks but it wasn’t meant to be easy out here. It’s good to be back in and amongst the boys and training with them again, I’ve been enjoying it.
“They’re a group who have done a lot of good things over the last year or so and I’m sure they’ll take that confidence into the games ahead,” he added.
“It’s always during the build up to games where I wish I was a part of it or at least being around the group.
“Hopefully I can get some training done here and my arm will be okay and then I can play again soon.
“It’s about winning my place in the team back, a lot of hard work will go into it but everybody is doing the same thing to put their hands up.”
Wales v England, the first fixture of the 2019 Under Armour Summer Series fixture has already sold out, but some tickets remain for Wales v Ireland at Principality Stadium on Saturday 31st Augusut (14:30).
