Glasgow Warriors' Mann opens up on returning after 719 days out

The 26-year-old made his Glasgow debut in December 2022 but he needed to wait almost two years for his second run-out after a horrendous time with injury. Mann waited 719 days between his two Warriors appearances and the Scarlets win was his first ever competitive game at Scotstoun. 

There were clear signs of rustiness at points early on but Mann grew impressively into proceedings and he was swamped by his Glasgow teammates after winning an important penalty in the second half. 

Franco Smith pinpointed Mann for praise post-match and the talented back-row was visibly delighted after finally making his comeback. 

He admitted: “It's been something I've been working towards the last couple of years and just trying to keep my head down and keeping my eyes on that.

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“It was an amazing feeling, especially making it all the more special being actually at Scotstoun. I had the run out against Connacht in pre-season, but to get a proper professional game at Scotstoun with a relatively full stadium - it's an amazing feeling.

“There's always a little bit of nerves before a game but I feel like I've done enough training to sort of get my head around our whole playbook and everything like that the last two years, so I felt pretty confident coming into the game.”

Mann was ruled out for a year after sustaining his third concussion during his impressive debut against Bath. Due to protocols, Glasgow decided to stand him down for a sustained period before he agonisingly broke his ankle after his return to training and there were some dark days on his road to rehabilitation.  

“It was tough but I've got a very good support network from my family and friends,” Mann admitted. “Even from the boys at the club, it's a great club to be at and it's a genuine joy coming in here. Even if you are in the rehab group and just to come in to train and spend time with the boys is brilliant. I think that also translates to our results on the pitch the last couple of years is just a testament to the environment that we're in.

On whether he had to do anything differently after his concussion, Mann joked: “No, I mean there wasn't too much up there anyway to start with - it was purely protocol. I was very lucky, I didn't have many symptoms after the Bath game, but it was just the fact that I'd had three in a year.

"So If I came back after three months, which I was meant to, and I got another one, then I would have been out for six months. So they just stood me down for a year and that meant it reset. So that allowed me to then come back, but then unfortunately my ankle went again.”

Mann was very relieved in the build-up to his comeback as he feared his bad luck had stuck again in training. 

“Last week we were doing a unit session and I kind of rolled my ankle and I was thinking, this cannot happen again. But the feeling of relief is massive and it’s a night that I’ve been dreaming of for a while.”

Warriors head coach Smith has backed Mann throughout his rehabilitation and there could be more opportunities for him to impress across the next few weeks, especially with Jack Dempsey, Glasgow’s starting number eight, sidelined with injury.

“I'm not sure on the timeline of his injury,” Mann said of Dempsey's injury. “Franco’s very keen on using the entire squad, regardless of whether the boys are injured or anything like that. I think over the next few weeks with international boys dipping in and out, I would still be used if he was fit, so I would never want to say I was happy to see someone else injured. 

“There's nothing more you can really ask a coach to believe in you and with Franco, he 100% backs us and the confidence that gives you when you put on the jersey is massive. I'm just trying to take it week by week and get back and play as much rugby  as possible and whatever happens, happens.”