By LIZ MOORE

For former Australian schoolboy lock Matt Willshire, 2020 has been all about regaining confidence in his body while playing 80 minutes for Norths each week. In the 38-21 loss against Brothers on the weekend, it finally kicked back in for him.

Having endured double ACL injuries in a beleaguered time with the Chiefs Under 20s in New Zealand, Kiwi-born Willshire came back to Australia having only been fit to play five or six games in 18 months across the Tasman. 

Willshire then took two years off rugby while undergoing three full knee reconstructions, before he started to look around for a club at the middle of 2019. 

“Norths seemed like a club where I could have good game time each week and not be overshadowed by older, more experienced players and just have my own opportunity because it’s quite a young team at Norths. I felt well suited there,” said the 22-year-old.

“I knew it was going to be a big comeback year for me and I only feel like I’ve started hitting my straps a bit.

“It’s just a big confidence thing. When you’re out of rugby for so long and you come back, it’s such a physical game. I’ve just been building my confidence each week.

“It takes a lot to trust your own body again after it’s just given way on you like that because both of my injuries were non-contact injuries, just twisting or pivoting,” Willshire said of his two debilitating ACL tears. 

“Then it’s just gaining confidence in the physicality of the game, and each week I’ve felt I’ve improved, just getting more and more confident at running the ball and tackling. Everything else comes naturally but the physicality of the game is just so high.”

At two metres tall and 115 kilograms, there’s a lot of Willshire to get back into the game. Unfortunately, several of his teammates have missed a lot of games either through injury or super rugby contracts this season, including celebrated halfback Nick Chapman with a hamstring injury, though Chapman is tipped to make his return for Norths this week.

“We’re a very young side, very raw,” Willshire said. “There’s so much skill, though, in the team. We’ve progressed so much.”

Willshire said despite the loss, the game against Brothers on the weekend was probably Norths best game yet. 

“We were really able to keep possession of the ball. The scoreline didn’t really represent it, but we were right in the fight for about 60 minutes of the game. 

“It’s just unfortunate, we’ll have 15-20 minutes where we switch off and, you know, a good team will be able to run in two or three tries in a period like that. And that’s always hard to come back from.”

As for this weekend’s clash against another of the youngest teams in the competition, Souths, Willshire is pragmatic.

“I’m hoping we can go out and finish our season on a high with two wins against Souths and then Sunnybank. I can guarantee they’re the same as us. They want to finish with a couple of good wins probably. We’re both sitting around the bottom of the ladder. 

“Last week, we had a really good week of training and it corresponded out on to the field on Saturday so it’ll be another tough week of training.” 

IMAGE: BRENDAN HERTEL / QRU