By Paul Jones
Gareth Anscombe has vowed to get fit and return to the field despite having his dream move to Japan wrecked by injury.
The Wales outside-half insists he can recover quickly after undergoing surgery for a groin problem and is aiming to be back running again within 10 weeks.
Anscombe had been due to take up a contract in Japanese club rugby with leading side Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
But that move collapsed with the recurrence of a groin injury that first plagued him during the World Cup in France in the warm-up before Wales’ World Cup clash with Georgia.
Devastated to find out the groin injury I sustained around the time of the World Cup meant I required minor surgery, but happy to say it went well and I should be back up and running in the next 8-10 weeks.
Mixed emotions right now, but I’m focused on getting myself back fit✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/EAluzZoELe
— Gareth Anscombe (@Gareth_Anscombe) December 17, 2023
That setback led to the cancellation of his registration with Suntory, who have since signed Argentine rugby star Nicolas Sanchez as his replacement.
In a post in Twitter, Anscombe said: “Devastated to find out the groin injury I sustained around the time of the World Cup meant I required minor surgery, but happy to say it went well and I should be back up and running in the next 8-10 weeks.
“Mixed emotions right now, but I’m focused on getting myself back fit.”
The move to Japan had ruled Anscombe out of contention for Wales for the Six Nations, although he was keen to make himself available for next summer’s tour to Australia.
This doesn’t bode well for Gareth Anscombe whose yet to feature for Suntory. On the eve of RD 2, his new club has decided to bring in 35-year-old Argentina vet Nicolas Sanchez. https://t.co/f9TC9nRRdb
— Mark Pickering 🏴🇯🇵🎙 (@_MarkPickering) December 15, 2023
Suntory, in a statement announcing Sanchez’s signing, revealed that Anscombe’s Category C registration was canceled “due to his condition.”
The statement clarified, “The three players registered in Category C for the 2023-24 season are Sam Cain, Cheslin Kolbe, and Nicolas Sanchez.
“Due to his condition, Sean McMahon was not registered as a player before the start of the season, and Gareth Anscombe’s Category C registration was canceled due to his condition.”