St Helens prop has recovered from serious injury and must now help Great
Britain bounce back against New ZealandBack-to-back defeats to start their tour of the southern hemisphere means there is a certain sense of adversity surrounding Great Britain at present: but this is nothing new for Alex Walmsley. Having targeted four wins from four against Tonga,
New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, two consecutive losses so far is certainly not ideal, but for Walmsley, just being on the trip alone is an achievement given what he has been through in his career.
Walmsley has taken the unconventional route to the top, going from local playing fields to Great Britain international in just a handful of years, having played amateur rugby until the age of 22. But even after earning his big break with St Helens, Walmsley has had numerous hurdles to overcome to reach this point: including a serious neck injury last year which put his entire career in jeopardy.