While Taulupe Faletau heading back to Bath during the Six Nations left the Wales management facing an anxious wait, it did have one very positive spin-off for the Lions No 8.
It meant he got to spend more time with his partner, Charlotte Rhys Jones, and their two young sons.
His eldest boy, Israel, is now four years old, while Ezekiel has just turned two.
As one of Wales’ English-based players, Faletau has had to return to his club in fallow weeks and featured for them against Gloucester and Exeter.
With the back rower playing the full 80 minutes for Bath in both matches, Wayne Pivac and his fellow coaches would have watching from behind the sofa, hoping he stayed injury-free.
But from Faletau’s perspective, it gave him more game-time to hone his performances and more family time.
“It has fitted quite well going back to Bath during the fallow weeks,” he said.
“I get to spend a week with the family, so I kind of benefit from that whereas most of the boys are pretty much here the whole time.
“Family is important to me and every time I have been home, it’s been awesome.
“Hats off to all the partners out there for the amount of work they have to do, especially with kids being home schooled, which was extra work for them.
“Luckily my kids are in nursery, so they go a couple of days a week, but it is still a handful for my partner back at home.”
On the playing front, he added: “It hasn’t been a problem going back and forth.
“I’ve just been happy to have a run of games and play week-in, week-out. I feel pretty good.
“I’m just glad to be on the field having missed a lot of rugby over the last couple of years.”
As he alludes to, Faletau was laid low by a succession of injuries during 2018 and 2019, breaking his arm a couple of times.
When he returned to international duty last season, after an absence of almost two years, he wasn’t quite himself.
He’s put that all behind him this term, hitting the heights once more in helping Wales to the verge of a Grand Slam.
But was there a point when he wondered whether he would ever get back up to this level again?
“Yeah probably,” admits the 30-year-old.
“It was a long time out and maybe the first couple of games back after the most recent injury didn’t go the way I would have hoped.
“So I guess there would have been doubts along the road.
“Just having a run of games and being able to stay on the field has been something I have really appreciated.
“Before, I was playing every week and probably taking that for granted.
“I appreciate every opportunity I get more now.
“It means all the more after what I have been through.”
As for his current form, he modestly says: “I wouldn’t say I have been amazing or anything like that.
“I’m quite a hard critic of myself and there’s a lot of parts of my game where I need to step up.
“Enjoying the game to me means getting my hands on the ball more and making more tackles.”
That’s what the 85-cap Faletau will be looking to do out in Paris on Saturday, as Wales go in search of an unexpected Grand Slam.
“The autumn was a lot of learning and we’ve taken those learnings into the Six Nations and got the results we’ve had so far,” he said.
“We’ve a chance to win all our games and it would be brilliant if that happens this weekend.
“If we don’t manage to get all the wins, we’ll be disappointed. Anything other than a Slam will be a disappointment.”
