Welsh full-back Lee Byrne is delighted to regain place
Welsh full-back Lee Byrne admitted that he was surprised that he has managed to return to the game earlier than expected following his injury.
The British and Irish Lion fractured the third metacarpal bone in his right hand and was expected to miss all of the Autumn Internationals after sustaining the injury.
The 30-year-old will now return for the match against South Africa at Cardiff on Saturday 13 November.
Byrne told BBC Sport, that he feared the injury could have ended his career. "As your career goes on, you don't know whether it will be your last game for Wales."
The Welsh international picked up the injury during a Magners League match with Glasgow.
The full-back missed last year’s Autumn Internationals with ankle ligament damage.
"Obviously I knew that something was broke [against Glasgow]. When I went to the hospital and had the x-ray and [then them] telling me I was out for the autumn, I thought, 'Here we go again. It it's going to be another autumn sitting on the sidelines'."
The full-back stated that he was delighted to have been given the opportunity to play at full-back, after James Hook had filled in for Byrne on Saturday.
"I was really pleased to get another chance and hopefully [when we] go out there on the weekend we can get a victory,” said the full-back.
The player is now hopeful that he will remain fit for the remainder of the season, which comes to an end with the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.
Byrne stated that the medical staff were pleased with the player’s progress and that he has had no ill effects, after returning to full contact training.
"I've had a lot of injuries in the past, but they seem to heal quite quick when I do have them. So touch wood there won't be many more. It's come on really well. The surgeon is really happy with it. It's all ready to go. I've done the contact, high ball
catching, passing and it feels brilliant."
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