Dan Lydiate is on the brink of another rugby comeback, driven by a determination to confound those who have once again written him off.
The 31-year-old Test Lion has been bedevilled by a savage run of injuries, the latest one of which has seen him sidelined for the past five months. He had been all set to figure for Wales against South Africa in the autumn when he succumbed to an elbow problem that caused him to withdraw on the day of the game.
He has been battling to recover ever since and the odds have been stacking up against him as a candidate for the World Cup this autumn, with the Welsh back row a source of immense strength during the recent Six Nations.
But Lydiate is fit again and has been named in a 31-man Ospreys’ squad for their short tour of South Africa, with the blindside expected to feature on the pitch.
He will know he faces a major challenge to make it to a third World Cup, but injuries can pile up quickly in the back row and a fit Lydiate will always interest Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards.
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The most destructive tackler in Welsh rugby, Lydiate earned his spurs as part of a famed back row that also featured Sam Warburton and Taulupe Faletau. Together, the threesome set a record for a Welsh breakaway unit of 30 appearances together.
The chop-tackling Lydiate was an integral part of the trio, performing his duties so well and uncompromisingly that the famously hard-to-please Edwards declared at one point: “He’s my favourite player.”
But injuries have punctuated his career and in five years at the Ospreys he has made just 29 regional appearances.
Wales have kept recalling him, though, most recently last autumn, when he repaid the faith with an outstanding show against Scotland that saw him make 23 tackles, achieve a turnover and put in a number of purposeful ball carries.
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He held his place for the win over Australia and would have featured against the Springboks had fate not turned against him once again.
The elbow knock has proven a tough one to shake off, but Lydiate has worked hard to resume and is ready to go again.
He now potentially has just seven opportunities to earn a place in Japan, with three regular Ospreys matches left and four Wales warm-up games he could potentially be picked for.
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Another long-term absentee, Dan Baker, is also set to take the field for the Ospreys in Africa.
The Ystradgynlais product hasn’t played since smashing a knee in the Heineken Champions Cup match against Clermont Auvergne in Swansea in 2017.
Baker suffered a multi-dimensional injury that has required two operations and an immense about of patience and perseverance to put right.
But the 26-year-old Wales international has also travelled with the squad for the games with the Cheetahs and Southern Kings. The Ospreys will be pleased to see him available again, having missed his ball-carrying.
Fit-again Wales international Rhodri Jones is also in the party, along with Gareth Thomas, another forward ready to return.
Ospreys squad to tour South Africa
Backs: D. Evans, T. Williams, K. Giles, H. Dirksen, L. Morgan, T. Thomas-Wheeler, J. Hook, O. Watkin, C. Allen, L. Price, S. Davies, M. Aubrey, A. Davies;
Forwards: R. Jones, N. Smith, G. Thomas, S. Baldwin, S. Otten, S. Parry, T. Botha, M. Fia, B. Davies, L. Ashley, A. Beard, J. King, D.Lydiate, D. Baker, R. McCusker, C. Cracknell, S. Cross, J. Tipuric.
