Wayne Pivac’s Scarlets will welcome back second row Jake Ball for the new season following his timely return to action after missing the conclusion of last season.
The 26 year-old was absent for the Scarlets’ Pro12 final victory and Wales’ summer tour to New Zealand, where they played Tonga and Samoa.
Speaking to the WRU, Ball said: “I’m feeling good now. It’s been seven weeks since my operation and I’m getting back to where I was before the shoulder injury.
“For the last three years I haven’t had much of a pre-season so to give my body a rest from being smashed about is not a bad thing. I feel refreshed and mentally I’m in a good place.
“I’m just really excited about the season ahead and it was interesting for me to watch the Lions matches while I was reovering. I trained in a gym in Swansea while the games were on the TV and it was nice to have that there as an inspiration.
“I was gutted to miss the back end of the season, but in one way it’s been good for me mentally because it’s meant I’ve trained that bit harder through this off season,” added Ball.
“I had a week off after my operation, but then I was straight back into it and I’ve made good strides. I’m feeling fit - I’ve been doing a lot of running - and I’ve been pushed really hard in my rehab. I’m loving playing for Wales and I can’t wait to get back into the squad.
On the subject of returning to the Scarlets team, Ball declared: “I’ve got to play well for the Scarlets to get picked, but I felt like I was building into more of a leadership role in the last campaign which was nice.
I was running the line-out and things like that. I really enjoyed it and I want to taste more of it.”
Despite Ball’s absence in the latter stages of the season, the Scarlets were well served in the second row department last season by the likes of Lewis Rawlins and Irishman Tadhg Beirne.
Although Ball should slot straight back in for the champions for the inaugural Pro14 competition, his Wales spot is less secure.
Alun Wyn Jones is virtually the first name on the team sheet these days with the other second row starting place fought over by Ball, Bradley Davies, Cory Hill and Luke Charteris.
The Scarlets are also set to be boosted for the start of the season by the likes of fit-again props Rob Evans and Samson Lee, who both missed the Welsh Southern Hemisphere tour through injury.
They may yet add Leigh Halfpenny to an already exciting squad and prove ‘west is best’ once again and become victorious in the newly formed Pro14.
(Featured image: Cisko66)