Former Wallabies skipper Dave Porecki feared career was over during achilles injury battle

“You’d almost rather have a long-term injury.” Those are the words of former Wallabies skipper Dave Porecki, revealing he didn’t know if he’d be back from his gruelling battle with injury.

Dave Porecki has opened up on his gruelling comeback from injury. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Dave Porecki feared he would be forced to retire last year, as the former Wallabies captain battled a confounding Achilles injury that sidelined him for the entire season.

After getting through his first game since leading the Wallabies against Portugal at the 2023 World Cup, a relieved Porecki could afford a smile after the Waratahs had a 36-all draw against the Brumbies in a trial game in Bowral on Saturday.

But there were few reasons to be positive last year as the 32-year-old hooker struggled to deal with the injury that initially was forecast to keep him out for a few weeks, later turning to months.

“I would normally be stoic and say I always knew I was going to come back, but there were times that I was like, we cannot get a fix here, and it’s just not responding.” Porecki said.

Porecki sat out the entirety of last season. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“And then obviously we started taking a more aggressive approach with the cortisone injection stuff and got a lot of quality help along the way as well, a lot of different sets of eyes. And that was really helpful for me because it puts your mind at ease a little bit as well.

“And you know that you’ve got confidence that they’ve seen it before. Although very minimally, they have actually seen it and they’ve seen people recover, and it was just sort of time.

“But for me, I guess the pressure was higher because you’re on such a time crunch to get back for Super Rugby and then obviously you want to play Super Rugby so you can play, put your best foot forward for Wallabies.

“And obviously I couldn’t play any Super.”

Being sidelined for the entire year was a bitter pill to swallow, but has allowed Porecki to return in peak physique for the 2025 season.

“It was tough. It was probably more frustrating around like how complicated the injury was and going sort of week to week, not really knowing,” Porecki said.

Porecki and Eddie Jones in 2023. Picture: SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

“You’d almost rather have a long-term injury because you know, ‘This is the time I’m coming back’, whereas my one was sort of every week I’m getting asked, ‘When are you back, when are you back?’

“And then obviously we just ended up making a call like, look, it’s not going to work for me.

“In some ways it was a really bad year. I wasn’t able to play, but otherwise it was good, I was able to get in the gym and get my body right physically.

“I feel like I’m in a better place physically in terms of at the start of a year than I have been in previous years, because I’ve got a massive pre-season under my belt. So it’s a good start of the year for me.”

Porecki got through 52 minutes at Eldridge Park in Bowral, and should form a potent starting front combination for NSW alongside Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou in their opening round match against the Highlanders at Allianz Stadium on February 14.

Due to his long-term absence, Queenslander Matt Faessler took hold of the Wallabies No. 2 jersey last year with impressive performances, while Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Lachlan Lonergan, Josh Nasser and Billy Pollard will also battle Porecki for the hooking spot for the British & Irish Lions series starting in July.

Originally published as Former Wallabies skipper Dave Porecki feared career was over during achilles injury battle