Grove's Tom Wells says he is making ‘slow but steady’ progress after badly injuring his back in Saturday’s South West 1 East win over Trowbridge.

The 20-year-old scrum half was stretchered off and taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, during his side’s 14-5 success.

Wells was allowed to return home that evening following precautionary scans, but after experiencing further pain – and going for further tests – the extent of his problem was discovered.

“I have a compression fracture of the spine and a broken rib,” he said.

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“I have a curved spine anyway and so when I first went in, the hospital concentrated on that.

“I was allowed home that night, but I was struggling to get any sleep and when it wasn’t getting any better, I went to see a chiropractor in Grove on Monday, and an X-ray showed why I was in so much pain.”

He added: “I don’t blame anyone, but am glad I know what’s wrong now.

“I am on a lot of heavy painkillers and can walk small distances. It’s slow but steady really.”

Wells, who lives at Filchampstead, near Cumnor, started playing rugby at Grove aged just eight.

He went on to play for Wasps Academy for four years, before they released him because of his weak spine.

After a period out of the game, he returned to Grove and is determined to carry on playing after the injury has healed.

“They reckon I will be out for about three months, so it’s whether I really push it to try and get back for a game or two at the end of the season,” he said. “I was first to a ruck and as I was trying to turn the ball over, was clobbered by one of their men.

“It was something that I have had done lots of times before, but this time I just heard a couple of cracks in my back.

“I lay there for a bit to see if I was actually hurt, and then knew I was.”

Wells added: “When the report went in the paper on Tuesday this week, it said that it was only bad bruising, because at the time that is what we thought.

“I was getting some stick about it all, so at least now people can see I was actually hurt and not milking anything!”

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