Head Coach Richard Hill has revealed that Ezra Taylor will almost certainly return home to rehab from his serious knee injury and has wished him every success with his comeback.
Samoa international Taylor was forced off with an injury after just two minutes of his club debut against London Wasps last weekend and has now undergone surgery to repair a patella tendon injury.
Hill admitted he was left devastated by the injury blow – another to his back row resources – after Taylor had impressed both him and Forwards Coach Phil Davies during his short spell at Sixways.
“Ezra is devastated,” said Hill. “It is the worst possible thing that could have happened to him. Two minutes into his career here and he can’t believe it, he really can’t.
“It is tough and hard for him. We have rushed him over here before Christmas and he said goodbye to his family and thought he was over here for several months.
“To lie in a bed in a strange place is going to be a tough thing to do for a few weeks. We will look after him and try and help him as much as we can.
“I think it will take six months and it can be nine months to recover. It’s a tough process to rehab and it is a bad injury.
“It is best for him to go back to his own environment and be surrounded by family and friends. We will make sure he is looked after and he gets the best possible treatment.
“He will be in bed for a few weeks and I understand his wife is coming over here to look after him. But once he is able to take a flight then almost certainly he will go home and rehab there.”
Hill also pointed to recovery of former England man Dan Ward-Smith during his days at Bristol as a reason for Taylor to be positive over his playing ufture.
“When I was at Bristol, Dan Ward-Smith did exactly the same thing and he went to a top specialist for a couple of months in America to get it sorted,” added Hill.
“I have chatted with Ezra and he will go back, do his rehab and play some rugby in New Zealand. If he proves his fitness, and they do come back like Dan Ward-Smith did, then we will look at him again.
“He has impressed us greatly and I know Phil Davies has really impressed by him. He is a bright lad and he picks things up very quickly and looked a good player. But he will have to prove his fitness before he can commit ourselves long-term.”
“To lie in a bed in a strange place is going to be a tough thing to do for a few weeks. We will look after him and try and help him as much as we can…"