Seven months of gruelling rehab and pitched straight into the cauldron of the Stade de France, clearly nothing was going to stop Sean Maitland going to the Rugby World Cup.
The classy wing will make his comeback from shoulder surgery in the final warm-up game against France, playing in his occasional role of full-back but gunning for one of the wing spots that have become a real competition within the Scotland squad.
Left behind in the race due to the injury he sustained back in January when trying to score the winning try at Bath that would have taken Glasgow to the European Cup quarter-finals, he is aware he has not a lot of time to make up lost ground, although he’s relishing the competition.
“It’s awesome!” he said. “Sean (Lamont) has found a new gear and he’s going to get his 100th cap soon.
“Tim (Visser) has found some form as well.
“Really, that’s key.
“You have to have competition and that’s what it’s been like in Glasgow for the last three years.
“Me and Tommy (Seymour) have to fight for the jersey this week we only have one game to prove ourselves and then it’s best team from there on in.
“You just have to take your chance and go for it.”
It has been a long haul back for Maitland, from an injury it was initially thought would heal in time for him to play in the Six Nations.
“I remember three guys landing on top of me and that’s what jarred the shoulder up, ripped the tendons in there.
“Having been told that it would be fine after 6-8 weeks of rehab, it didn’t get better, so I had a choice between surgery and just more rehab, but I also had other things to worry about, like my medical for (the move from Glasgow to ) London Irish, so surgery was the only way.”
Surgery meant he knew it would be touch and go to make the World Cup, and towards the end of recovery he began to have doubts.
“Especially the last nine weeks,” he said. “There were times when I thought: ‘Man, I’m not going to make it’.
“But then you get to a point where you turn a corner…
“Two weeks ago I did a bit of tackling, surprised myself how good it was, and when I saw the surgeon he gave me the all clear.”
Maitland, Mark Bennett and Alex Dunbar were in the same recovery group with a physio specifically earmarked for their recovery, but the centre recovering from ACL surgery didn’t make it.
“It helped me a lot, having him there with me,” said Maitland.
“We came in on June 15, that’s how long we’ve been training for none of the injured guys got time off, while all the other players have been granted some time away.
“Now I’m just fizzing to play, but really it’s about match fitness for me.
“France are hitting some form as well, they want to go out and score tries and we do too, so hopefully it’s a real entertaining game of rugby.”
Maitland played age group rugby in New Zealand with new team-mate John Hardie, although they’ve not discussed their shared experience in leaving their birthplace to throw their lot in with Scotland.
“He’s a pretty professional guy and all the boys see the skill set he brings.
“He’s made a big impact on the squad already and he had a great debut.
“It’s always going to be tough, there will always be criticism from somewhere when you just sort of turn up.
“Luckily I don’t choose the team.”
Scotland: S Maitland (London Irish); T Seymour, M Bennett (both Glasgow), M Scott (Edinburgh), T Visser (Harlequins); F Russell (Glasgow), G Laidlaw (Gloucester, capt); A Dickinson, R Ford, WP Nel (all Edinburgh); J Gray (Glasgow), R Gray (Castres) ; R Wilson (Glasgow), J Hardie (unattached), D Denton (Edinburgh). Replacements: F Brown, F Reid, J Welsh, T Swinson (all Glasgow), A Strokosch (Perpignan), S Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), D Weir, S Lamont (both Glasgow).
In other warm-up games today England host Ireland, Italy visit Wales and Scotland’s pool rivals Japan take on Georgia.
Twitter: @C_SScott