It has been 10 months since the bearded second-row was carted off at the Principality Stadium receiving gas and air after dislocating his shoulder in the November Test against the All Blacks. Ball looks as if he has never been away since returning to action with his trademark carrying and no nonsense defence, but he was almost dealt a sickening setback.
“It was one of the most painful injuries I’ve ever had,” admits Ball. “I remember they spent a good couple of hours trying to put my shoulder back in the changing room. I ended up having to go to hospital and I didn’t remember much of that until I came round. It’s good to be able to forget about that and be back out there on the pitch.
“It was great being back out there but I came off the field and I felt something in my bicep. So I kept it a little bit quiet and went over to our physio Matthew and said something feels a bit odd. He had a look at it and said the same.
“I had an ultrasound and when it was put on my bicep, she went ‘oh it’s not there.’ I was sitting there thinking ‘oh god here we go again!’ I had ruptured a longhead bicep tendon on my right arm. Luckily it’s not something that’s completely vital and it hasn’t really affected me at all.”
Ball starred in Scarlets’ back to back victories over Benetton Rugby and defending European and PRO14 champions Leinster. He may be back in the starting XV for his region, but the 27-year-old has a fight on his hands to regain his place in the Wales team ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Warren Gatland has a wealth of second-row talent to chose from with the likes of Alun Wyn Jones, Cory Hill, Bradley Davies, Seb Davies, Adam Beard and Rory Thornton all vying for places. But Ball says the compeition for places his fuelling his comeback.
“For me, that competition is only a good thing, especially going into these years,” added Ball. “If you look at the injuries we picked up going into the last World Cup, to be able to be competitive in those World Cup years you have got to have a big squad that is capable of playing at that level.
“And it is a driving factor. When someone comes in and plays well, that is rugby, your aim is to try and knock them off their perch, that is how it works. My body feels really good at the moment, but you know what? It actually feels kind of nice to have a stiff neck again and be hobbling up and down those stairs.
“It is good to be back and it is a case of getting games under my belt and just playing. If you look at the year ahead, there is so much in my head that I want to aim towards. I am at that point in my career now that I want to be winning stuff, not just with the Scarlets, but hopefully, if I put my foot forward there, with Wales as well.
“I have had a taste of a World Cup, I know what it takes, I know the training that goes in before that as well, it is pretty gruelling. But then I also know to be able to get to there you have got to play well for your region and that is my focus at the moment.”
