Hobbsy: Wrecks, Drugs and Ruck 'n' Maul

Sam Hobbs, one of the mainstays of the Pontypridd team in recent years, was involved in a Blues match last season which took a dramatic turn for the worse for the "Brecon Ram". 

In this article, Hobbsy - in conversation with Pontypridd Historian and Statistician, Richard Evans - shares his experience of a terrifying time in this young prop's life, and his long road to recovery.

Richard Evans: Tell us, Sam, what do you remember of the injury? 

Sam Hobbs: We’d just conceded a try, and, as I was walking back to the halfway line waiting the restart, my right leg became numb from the knee down. I thought it was a dead leg and that I’d be able to run it off.

As I chased the kick off, I couldn't control my leg and tripped just in front of a group of Newcastle players who had caught the kick-off and had formed a maul. As they drove forward over me the maul collapsed, I managed to get back onto my feet, but could not feel the whole of my right leg  and I quickly fell back down. When I hit the floor, I can recall having a massive headache and I’d lost sight in both eyes, all I could see was light. At this point the Blues physios and doctors attended to me extremely quickly. From then on, I lost consciousness and was told that I began to physically fit.

I’ve seen the incident and looking back, the initial fall is very funny and you can see in the background a few of the boys on the bench laughing as I fell over. But obviously as time went on, the situation became very serious and there was genuine concern. 

RE: When you came around at the hospital, how bad did you think the injury was?

SH: I was drifting in and out of consciousness the whole time. I can recall arriving at the hospital and the emergency room where. I began vomiting. I can remember my girlfriend and mother being very upset at the sight of me being tilted over still strapped on my back vomiting. At this point I still couldn’t see or feel my legs but I could hear everything and had a massive headache. This made me worry whether I’d see or be able to walk again. 

RE: Did you undergo any surgery?

SH: I began to recover quickly and the feeling in my legs and sight started to come back. Whilst I was out cold, I underwent a scan and the doctors found a bleed in the left hand side of my brain. However, the cause of the bleed was unknown.

So, two days later, I had to undergo a procedure where a camera on a thin cable was cut and inserted into an artery in my groin and pushed all up through my body into my brain and scanned the damaged area. The only way I can describe the feeling  is that its probably the closest I will get to taking drugs with bright lights going off in my eyes.

RE: What were you told to do as part of your rehabilitation? Were there things that you couldn't do?

SH: For the week I spent in hospital I wasn’t allowed to get out of bed. There was a risk that a rise in blood pressure would cause another bleed. Once I was released to go home, I was told all exercise was off the cards until I saw a specialist 6 weeks later. I was also stopped from driving which was very frustrating. 

RE: When did you first start training again?

SH: About 6 weeks after the incident, the doctor let me commence light cardiovascular exercises-jogging, swimming and cycling- but no weight training- I’d began my treatment of warfarin tablets to thin my blood.  

RE: Did you have a timetable of your recovery and targets, when you had scans etc?

SH: The initial view of my recovery would be 6 months, but after consultation with the doctors, my timetable was reduced to 3 months and then re- scan due to my age, the speed of my recovery after the incident and my general fitness.  

RE: Any funny stories as part of your recovery?

SH: There was an funny event when I was doing some running on a treadmill in the Blues gym whilst the players were training I managed to roll my ankle awkwardly on the running machine and, as it was going pretty fast, it threw me off the other end and I landed in a heap in front of the boys most of whom were laughing hysterically. 

RE: I presume there has been some frustration on your road to recovery, what did you do to alleviate this?

SH: I was able to watch a lot of rugby during my time off which I found enjoyable but also extremely frustrating. The Blues invited me to watch them in the Amlin Final against Toulon in Marseille which was an amazing rugby experience not just the game but the whole weekend.

Also, I tried to support the Ponty boys as much as possible but I think being on the touchline with the water was more for my benefit than the players. I felt close to the game and the players and a way to vent frustration. 

RE: Anybody you would like to thank on your road to recovery?

SH: The Blues medical team at the Newcastle match who probably saved my life that day. They are physios Andy Shea and Tim Atter, Dr Geoff Davies and Dr Varley. I’d also like to thank Dan Baugh who was with me the whole time on the pitch, along with Bob Norster who stayed with my family the all through the night at the hospital.

Thanks also to the Specialist, Dr O’Sullivan who worked with me for the whole duration of my recovery. I’d like to thank the Blues as an organisation for their support through a tough period of my life.

And finally, thanks to Pontypridd RFC - from the players and staff, to the supporters for all their support and well wishes over the past few months 

RE: What are your personal targets for the upcoming season? 

SH: Personally I’m just looking forward to playing again. It’s been so long since the Newcastle game, I just want to get on the field. I’m aiming to get back into the Blues squad regularly, to learn as much as possible from the coaches and other props there such as Gethin (Jenkins.)

I know that if I’m not involved with the Blues, I’m equally looking forward to getting stuck in again with Ponty. Trying to get into the team here will be tough enough with the signing of Phil Osborne plus the emergence of props like Ken Knaggs and the young academy boys Lewis Smout and Will Griff-John, along with wily experienced guys such as Stuart and Ryan. 

RE: What do you make of Pontypridd and the Blues' chances this season?

SH: Both teams have recruited and strengthened very well over the summer. For the Blues, signings Dan Parks and Michael Paterson will have a big impact on the squad this year and we’ll be keen to win more trophies, the new Welsh boys Tom Brown and Tom Davies are training well too. I think it will take a very good side to beat the Blues this year and I’m hoping to be a part of their success.

With Ponty, obviously last year was very frustrating with the weather and it was an extremely tough battle to play a lot of games in a short period of time near the end of last season. That’s why its very pleasing to see the signings Ponty have made over the summer with some very good youngsters from the local area being snapped up to complement the signing of Gareth Wyatt, who I’m sure will have a big impact on and off the field.

Ponty deserve to win a trophy this season, but like everything I’ve learnt at the club, nobody will give us a win week-in week-out in the league so it’s up to us to get out there and earn it.

RE: Sam Hobbs, diolch yn fawr. Get well soon.