A member of the Saints squad since 2005 – and an academy member for a year before that – Neil has played only 60 minutes of rugby in two-and-a-half years, thanks to a catastrophic run of injuries. Last Monday was a momentous occasion for the 6’5”, 25-year-old, as he played the second half of the Wanderers’ friendly against Saracens.
 
Taking to the field was a big enough event; being able to train on Tuesday morning was another. This Neil did, before taking a well-deserved afternoon off!
 
“[Saints senior physio] Dan Lewindon had set me a programme and September 17th was the date for my return to playing,” says Neil. “I could have played the previous Monday but it was a chance to get a full week of training under my belt. After all it has been a while!”
 
“I had a bit of swelling and bruising but it was great to be back out there and back in the routine.”
 
Neil’s catalogue of injuries makes sobering reading. A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee was followed nine months later by a recurrence of the same problem. Both required reconstructive surgery, the second requiring a rigorous 12-month rehabilitation period. But there was a further blow during preseason training this year, when Neil suffered a 19-cm tear to his left hamstring which needed a further three months of rehab.
 
When asked [Saints senior physio] Dan says it is one of the most serious run of injuries in one player he’s experienced. 

“Yes, definitely,” he says. “There were some very challenging moments over the past three months when he’d recovered from his revision ACL reconstruction, the graft was doing very well and everyone was very happy and he suffered the further blow of the hamstring tear.
 
“It is credit to him and to the medical and performance team that he’s made it back. On Monday night after he played I received messages from his surgeon and two additional specialists we’ve sent him to, all very happy to see him back on the field. It’s been a very difficult journey for him but now he’s come through it we all are hopeful of a bright future for Neil.

“A proportion of ACL reconstructions do fail despite the expertise of the surgeons. We are fortunate to have at our disposal the experienced medical and strength and conditioners working at Saints. But there is always that chance of re-injury.

"Neil has been to hell and back over the last two-and-a-half years and has shown a great deal of courage to keep himself going and get back.

"Following his revision surgery surgeon Andrew Williams suggested that we take a full 12 months to rehabilitate Neil. Ordinarily functional recovery following ACL reconstruction might be expected in a 6-8 month period, but this additional time was felt necessary to allow a more complete physiological healing of the graft. Following the original injury Neil went through a significant period of structured rehab to ensure he had parity in strength, core stability and functional control of his knee.

"It was almost a mixed blessing that he’d already gone through that process and knew exactly what he needed to do when it happened again.

“He’s worked extremely hard in the gym with the conditioning coaches and is very strong and capable. Biomechanically he has to endure the fact that he’s a little on the tall side and naturally flexible requiring greater awareness and control of his lower limbs than some of his peers. We had to be very precise with how he used his knee. Again it’s credit to his work ethic and the combined efforts of medical and performance departments that he’s in such good nick. Physiologically he’s still recovering from his hamstring tear and will be for the next two or three months, however following a thorough rehabilitation process he has demonstrated that he is functionally fit and ready to play. Due to the risk of recurrence that exists following hamstring strain he will continue to undergo additional strengthening with the medical team for the foreseeable future”.
 
Over the past year Saints fans have been used to seeing players out for extended periods such as Bruce Reihana and Jon Clarke. Both have spoken of their frustration about being on the sidelines. But what about when you’re forced out of the game for two-and-a-half years?
 
“Obviously you have your highs and lows,” says Neil. “You get frustrated. After about 16 months it was my job just to rehab and that’s where it changes a bit. The boys go out to the training pitch and the banter’s flying around while you’re sat back in on your own in the gym. But you focus on your goals and keep positive.

"The last few months have been a real rollercoaster, even more so than normal.

"I’ve had injuries on injuries and that’s when you start to question whether you can do this. But now, touch wood, everything’s been good so far.”
 
During this time Dan’s role too became multi-faceted.
 
“When dealing with long-term injury an important component of the process is the psychological support that is given to the player. This reassurance in the face of adversity that they’re going to be OK based on our knowledge of healing times can often be one of the more important facets of recovery.
 
“The playing department have daily meetings where every injured player is discussed in terms of their progress. This allows further reinforcement of this reassurance and support and keeps coaches aware of players who might otherwise feel forgotten. Luckily for us Jim and Dorian arrived with a knowledge of Neil through his involvement in England Sevens. It was also a bonus that he was coming to the end of his rehab and the new coaches were coming in with a fresh perspective of Neil. It was a case of get his hamstring right and let’s see how good he is.”
 
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder was very happy to see Neil back on the pitch.
 
“I was delighted to see him play on Monday and to have him train on Tuesday morning,” he says. “Neil has worked extremely hard to get through his injuries and it is credit to his dedication that he got back on the field. He’s a good player who showed glimpses of what he could do during his 40 minutes on the field. There also has to be a lot of credit paid to the entire medical team for their care of him through the rehabilitation period.”
 

Neil too has plenty of people to thank.
 
“The medical team have been fantastic – Dan, Cliff Eaton and Dave Brown,” he says. “They’ve given me a lot of their time and support and really looked after me, as did my surgeon Andrew Williams and the staff at OMI Harrow. I’d like to thank Helen Bartlett for all her hard work and support. Mike Friday and Mike Snelling with the England 7s helped me a lot as well. The Saints management have kept faith with me and the rest of the lads have been really supportive, especially my housemates Robbie Kydd and Mark Easter, who have kept me positive through what have been some dark times, to be honest. I’d also like to thank the fans for their warm welcome on Monday.
 
“As for the future, I’m just looking forward to playing some consistent rugby!”