Davies started Saturday’s LV= Cup clash with London Irish as he ended a near three-month spell on the sidelines with a chest injury.
The 25-year-old needed surgery after attempting to tackle South African skipper Jean de Villiers in the opening Dove Men Series Test on November 9 and missed the remaining three autumn games as a result.
Davies also sat out the final four rounds of Heineken Cup action, as well as a host of RaboDirect PRO12 fixtures, but his return to action in Reading came earlier than critics had at first predicted. Instead of remaining in rehab until at least the middle of this month as was first feared, Davies was named in Wales’ Six Nations squad before being released to play for his region at the Madejski Stadium.
“He has been out for such a long time so he is going to be a little bit rusty, but it was a good hit-out for him,” said Easterby, after Davies played the first half in a 29-10 defeat to the Exiles.
“It was always our intention to give him 40 or 50 minutes. It looked like he was fatiguing a little bit, but he was pretty happy with the work he got through.
“It certainly wasn’t a game where you could hold back. It was full-on, and they were pretty physical.
“Whether he will be involved with the Wales team next weekend is down to him and down to our medical team and their medical team to see exactly where he is at in terms of his return to playing.”
