After a taste of action on his return to the Wales fold, lock Jake Ball is itching for more as the Autumn Nations Cup ramps up.
Having suffered a shoulder injury in Wales’ final game before rugby was suspended, their 33-30 Guinness Six Nations defeat to England, Ball spent the subsequent summer months rehabbing over Zoom calls before returning to action for club side Scarlets at the end of the delayed PRO14 season.
But his frustrations were not over as he was made to wait for a return to international action until Wayne Pivac’s side began their Autumn Nations Cup campaign with defeat to Ireland last weekend.
That meant missing Wales’ final two Guinness Six Nations contests plus a Test match with France, a fact which has made Ball hungrier than ever before as he seeks more game time after coming off the bench in Dublin.
“I was pretty hungry. It was great to get back on the field,” Ball said. “It was a disappointing result, but great to be back out there.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed at not being involved [in Wales’ autumn fixtures before their clash with Ireland]. It was tough. I came in with a bit of a hamstring tweak from the Glasgow game.
“I didn’t train for the first week and a half which ruled me out of the France game and then selection happened for the Scotland game.
“I was disappointed not to be involved, but it was great to get back out there.”
Last weekend’s encounter may have been good on a personal level for Ball but it continued Welsh frustration as their difficult run under head coach Wayne Pivac continued.
It is now 291 days since Wales last won a Test match while they have triumphed in just two of the eight games they have played since Pivac took charge in November 2019.
However, Ball believes that their upcoming clash with Georgia is a great chance for him and his teammates to express themselves and get back into the winning habit.
He added: “It’s [the game against Georgia] exciting for anyone who is involved. It’s a great opportunity. It’s a chance to put your hand up for selection.
“Things haven’t gone great in the last few games, so what better chance than to go out there and play well against Georgia to put your hand up?
“It’s well known they are a physical team. We played them at the World Cup.
“They can be a tough side to break down. It will be a tough game at the weekend at scrum, breakdown and lineout.
“They love to drive everything. If Georgia get a sniff early doors, it’s going to be a long day at the office.”
