If good things come to those who wait, then Bryony Cleall deserves the very best.
The prop’s comeback story is one of perseverance and resilience – enduring an unfathomable five years out of rugby due to injury early in her career and then having to wait two years between her first and second England caps, again thanks to injury.
Those setbacks made Saturday all the sweeter as she finally made her first start for her country in the opening round of the 2021 Women’s Six Nations, 26 months after her one previous international appearance – coming as a replacement against Ireland during the 2019 Championship.
She’d made the most of that debut two years ago, driving her way over the whitewash as the clocked ticked red, and against Scotland at the weekend the 28-year-old once again showed a nose for the try-line more befitting a winger than a front-rower.
With England deep in the Scotland 22 late in the first half, Cleall received an inside pass and powered through two tacklers to dot down – sealing the bonus point en route to a 52-10 win.
And what made that score even more special? The fact the assist came from her twin sister Poppy, who would go on to be named Women’s Six Nations Player of the Match come full-time.
“I am so proud of her [Bryony], it’s two caps and two tries!” said an elated Poppy in her post-match interview. “I tried to put it on a plate for her and she finished it so well.
“We’re so proud of her and pleased to see her back in a white shirt. She’s worked so hard.”
INJURY WOE
It is hard work and iron willpower that have brought Bryony Cleall back from the injury brink and enabled her to reach the very top of the game.
Having first taken up rugby at an after-school club when she was seven, before moving on to represent England at age-group level, Cleall tore her anterior cruciate ligament as a 17-year-old and complications meant she required four knee operations.
That stopped her playing rugby for five years and she strongly considered giving up the sport entirely but, partially inspired by Poppy’s success, opted to take up the sport again in 2015, aged 22, while studying for a Masters at Exeter University.
Her talent was still evident and the subsequent ascent was rapid, as she shone at club level to catch the eye of the England selectors ahead of the 2019 Women’s Six Nations.
Handed a place on the bench for the Round 1 fixture in Ireland, Cleall was brought on in the 55th minute to win her first cap and even had time for a late try to round off a 51-7 victory at Donnybrook.
TWIN SUPPORT
Poppy started for England that day and having her twin alongside her was fitting, given all the support she’d provided on the long road back to fitness.
“I remember when I was coming back from my ACL I thought I wasn’t actually going to play rugby again – I’d leave that to Poppy,” Cleall explained in a recent interview with BBC Sport.
“I travelled all over to watch her and thought it would be so cool to support her playing for England.
“When I had the opportunity to play alongside her and I realised it was possible, I strived to want to experience things with her and do the things she’s doing.
“We had some frank conversations about whether I felt I could do it because when you are injured you start to question a lot of things.
“Poppy is one of the most straight-talking people. She said I could do it and it was about how mentally I perceived it. She gave me some straight words and made me believe in myself.”
In a parallel universe, that debut against Ireland was the game that kickstarted her international career and provided a platform to become an England regular over the past two years.
In reality, on her return to club side Saracens, Cleall broke her leg in a Premier 15s game and it was back to the operating theatre before a 19-month spell on the sidelines.
A return to the field in October 2020 lasted only a few minutes before a stress fracture in the same leg set her back and in January of this year, she caught coronavirus – ruling her out for another month.
BOUNCING BACK. AGAIN…
Some players would consider themselves snakebitten but Cleall remained admirably determined throughout and finally made a successful return for Saracens in February.
As is usually the case whenever she’s able to get game-time under her belt without injury striking, Cleall hugely impressed in the following weeks, causing England head coach Simon Middleton to call her up for the 2021 Championship and name her in his starting line-up for Round 1.
“It has been such a long time that I thought it might never happen,” Cleall admitted earlier this week. “I did have to ask if it was an April fools because the team came out on 1 April. I couldn’t even put my feelings into words.”
The front-rower – now distinguishable from her twin thanks to her bleached blonde hair – certainly made the most of the opportunity.
Her 57 minutes of play not only saw her score a try but, as the stats show, make 67 metres on ten carries, complete 15 tackles – two of them dominant – offload twice and break one tackle.
It was a powerful all-round display that hopefully allows her to kick on for the rest of the Championship injury-free and fulfil her undoubted potential.
If anyone deserves to, Bryony Cleall does.
