'Fitter than ever' Adam Hastings ready to play key role in business end of Glasgow's season
Yesterday at 03:00 PM
ADAM Hastings has always appeared able to look on the bright side of life, which is probably just as well given some of the injuries he has had to deal with. The last one, sustained in a game against Scarlets in late November, was particularly severe – a fractured jaw which required surgery then a lengthy break from playing. But, having returned to action in Glasgow’s URC defeat by Ospreys earlier this month, the 28-year-old has fully recovered, and in fact says he feels fitter than ever.
The timing could hardly be more opportune. The Warriors are about to enter a crucial stage of their season, with key games coming up in both the league and the Champions Cup, so the stand-off could be in line for a lot of consecutive games, starting with Friday’s home game against Munster.
"It was good to get back out there the other week and I'm feeling fit – the fittest I've felt in a long time,” he said. “It's pleasing coming into this time of the season feeling fresh – it's good. Hopefully I'll stay fit and fresh until the end of the year.
"I think the difference is when you don't have games every weekend you're a lot fresher on Mondays, so you recover quicker, effectively. So you've got that repeatability and you can go again, whether that's in the gym or on the training paddock.
"I've just had a lot of time to get over some niggles, which is always good. But of course you want to be on the pitch as much as you can.
"The last couple of years I've had some injury struggles and missed a lot of rugby. Thankfully I've always been fit for the end of the year, so hopefully I'll just keep it going now and stay fit and fresh till the end of the year."
Hastings needed his jaw rewired after the break, and admits it was tough for a time before he could see progress. "It was tricky for a while," he said. "I couldn't chew food for I think it was six weeks, so that sucked.
"I've got wires and bolts – I think I've got four bolts in my face and a couple of wires – just to add to the collection in the rest of my body!
"It's all right, honestly. The worst bit was the first three weeks – I couldn't feel my face for a while and my bite was different. But thankfully I've kept all my teeth – that was the main thing I was worried about.
"The club have been brilliant with me – the physios, the S&C department, have got me to a good place and I can't thank them enough. They let me go away for a few weeks as well, straight after [the injury]. That was good for my head. And then since coming back in they've just gradually got me back to fitness.
"I was in Dubai for a week, got some winter sun, and then I just chilled around at home and spent loads of time with the family over Christmas. It is quite rare that you get to do that, so it was a nice side of being injured, I suppose.
"I think that's what nailed it for me. A lot of the time with rehabs you can be in the club for ages just grafting, basically. You've effectively got to do more than the boys when you're rehabbing – it's pretty brutal. So it was brilliant that I was able to get away and then come back in feeling fresh.
"I'm feeling good now, pretty much back to normal.”
That sense of normality was enhanced by his return to the Scotland squad last week ahead of the Six Nations game against France. It may only have been to train with the matchday group rather than to take part in the actual fixture, but it gave Hastings a potential foretaste of what he hopes will be greater involvement with Gregor Townsend’s squad when they tour New Zealand and the Pacific this summer.
"I always enjoy a summer tour,” he added. “I've been on a few now and it's always good fun and some really good games.
"Pulling on a Scotland jersey is a nice way to finish off the year before you get a break, so I would definitely be targeting that."
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