Rob Howley's Wrist - the Latest News

Rob's a Winner
By Barney Burnham
August 25 2004

Rob Howley recently did an interview with those lovely people from Sky. Wasps roving reporter Barney Burnham laid in wait, and ambushed him on his exit.

BB: Rob - the hand's still heavily strapped. How is the injury progressing?

RH: It's progressing nicely. It's come out of a heavy cast over the last two weeks, and - as you see - it's now in a lighter cast. I've got an appointment this afternoon with a consultant, with a view to take the lighter cast off temporarily for two hours a day. That will allow me then to start working a little more on the flexibility and strengthening of the wrist.

Obviously, up to this date, it's only two months post-op, and they're very mindful of looking after the scaphoid, where it's been pinned. I haven't started strengthening the wrist yet, because it's been in some sort of cast, ever since I had the op. But hopefully this week will bring some good news.

I've been able to keep some strength in it by using a squash ball and putty, as you do, and squeezing it. I'm a little bored with that by now, and hopefully I can move on to some lighter weights in the next ten days.

BB: Has it given you an excuse not to do the housework?

RH: (laughing) Yes! I've never done any before. I wasn't good at it anyway. No, it's been frustrating. The first three weeks, probably four weeks, I was unable to drive. We had to cancel our holiday in June and July, but we managed to get away to Disneyland Paris with the kids... only for four days. But I've been keeping myself fit. The cardiovascular is not a problem, but, fingers crossed, I'll have good news this week.

BB: There were reports of some slight post-op problems, weren't there? Something about internal bleeding, wasn't it?

RH: Yes, that's right. My wife picked me up after the operation. It was at about one o'clock, on either the Monday or the Tuesday. By three o'clock, the support that it was in, the sling, was covered with blood which was pouring out. I went back in, my arm was still numb, and they reopened the incision they'd made and just cleaned me up, basically.

BB: So are you more, or less, confident now (than you were before the operation) that you're going to make a full recovery and come back to Wasps as soon as possible?

RH: Well, prior to the operation, the consultant told me it was going to be around November time. That date hasn't changed, so, as far as I'm concerned, I'm more than happy with how things have progressed.

I suppose it's difficult being a professional sportsman, and rugby players are no different. You want to run before you can walk. There's been frustration, particularly over the last two weeks. You can see the flexibility in the hand getting a little bit better each day, but I want to do more things. I have to pull myself back, because the knitting of the bone with the pin is so crucial. I'm able to do very little, so in the next ten days I'll be able to do a little more than I've done over the past four weeks, to help the wrist progress towards being much stronger.

BB: It's extraordinary that you managed to play for the whole second half of the season, as the inury came about in the match in Perpignan, didn't it?

RH: Yes, it did. February the 1st, against Perpignan, it was a stamp to the wrist. It's crucially down to Wasps, and particularly Warren Gatland's management skills, that I did very little contact. I wasn't able to do any contact in training, obviously because of the tackle. The only way I was able to play in games was to have an injection to numb the pain in that area. But that's professional sport. I wouldn't be the first, or last rugby player to do that before games. I was thankful to Wasps for the way they managed me in contact, and training, and weights during that period , the last four months of the season. Obviously, everyone could see it was crucial to be part of that Wasps team.

BB: So the message now, to Matt Dawson and Peter Richards, is: 'Watch out, I'm coming for you'?

RH: (laughing) I wouldn't say that! It's great for London Wasps that they can attract a player of Matt Dawson's class. I've had many duels with Matt - not only at club level, but also in internationals and on Lions tours. When Warren told me Matt was coming, I raised my eyebrows a little bit, but I think it's going to be a great battle between us, and we're looking forward to it. Ultimately London Wasps will be the winners, because you need strength in depth, not only in the Premiership, but also in the Heineken Cup. You have to have that depth to survive and do well. We certainly have that in the number 9 shirt at London Wasps.