Ellis Jenkins: Wales flanker makes injury comeback for Cardiff at Harlequins
- Published
Flanker Ellis Jenkins is taking part in pre-season training for the first time in three years
Ellis Jenkins will make his latest comeback from long-term injury in Cardiff's pre-season game at Harlequins on Saturday (15:00 BST).
The Wales flanker played just four games last season after returning from a 26-month absence following a knee injury.
Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young believes the 28-year-old is now stronger than ever.
"Ellis has had a good pre-season," said Young.
"He's not missed a session so hopefully he can hit the ground running.
"You can do as much fitness as you like but playing games is completely different. He was certainly at the front in most of the fitness tests and sessions so I don't think he's got anything wrong with his fitness.
"He's been bullet-proofed as much as we can with different sessions and we've put him into different situations where if he has a problem it should identify it, which it hasn't, so he's come through and I think he's done as much as he can.
"Now it's just over to playing games pretty much."
Another Wales flanker Shane Lewis-Hughes also returns after not playing since damaging his shoulder against Munster in March.
Jenkins got injured in November 2018, rupturing knee ligaments in the closing seconds of a man-of-the-match display for Wales against South Africa.
The 11-cap back-rower had three operations and suffered several setbacks during his recovery before returning in February 2021. He played four competitive games for Cardiff before being sidelined again with an injury to his other knee.
"He had a couple of games under his belt last season and then took a bit of a step back so we needed to make sure he's done the right rehab and so on and he's going to hopefully come back stronger and fitter this season," said Young.
"I think he showed in the first two games especially that he has got the quality which everybody recognises - and he's still got those qualities - but I think he showed in the two games after that, putting games together is not easy when you've come back from a long injury really."
Jenkins' return to fitness is a welcome boost after it was revealed another of Cardiff's Wales flankers, James Botham, will miss the opening months of the season after shoulder surgery.
Summer recruit from Bath Rhys Priestland is on the bench for the opening pre-season fixture, but Young is without British and Irish Lions pair Josh Adams and Josh Navidi, who are due to return to training in two weeks.
The duo will not be involved for Cardiff until at least the third game of the season and will play only one or two matches before Wales begin their autumn campaign.
Before their opening United Rugby Championship fixture against Connacht on Friday, 24 September, Cardiff have two pre-season matches. They host Bath on Friday, 10 September after this weekend's game at Twickenham Stoop against English Premiership champions Harlequins.
"We've haven't got any of our internationals involved. It's still a bit early so it gives the players that have been here since the word go in pre-season an opportunity to put their hand up, so they're really excited," said Young.
"We don't quite know what team Quins will put out but I'm sure it will be a test for us."
Cardiff team: Matthew Morgan; Aled Summerhill, Garyn Smith, Max Llewellyn, Jason Harries; Jason Tovey, Jamie Hill; Rhys Gill, Kirby Myhill (Capt), Will Davies-King, James Ratti, Rory Thornton, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Ellis Jenkins, Alun Lawrence.
Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Brad Thyer, Scott Andrews, Sean Moore, Rhys Anstey, Gwilym Bradley, Olly Robinson, Sam Moore, Ethan Lloyd, Rhys Priestland, Harri Millard, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.