Five hundred and 12 days later, Murphy Walker finally made his return for Glasgow on Saturday
The tighthead prop started the Warriors bonus-points loss to the Bulls in Pretoria after almost 17 months when four injuries in a row threatened to derail his promising career.
Speaking on the BBC Scotland Sport website, Walker said: "It was just so frustrating. When you see your mates going so well, and the team going so well, you just really want to be a part of that.
"I know injuries are part of the job and you've just got to roll with punches - I'm not daft - but having three back to back to back was pretty tough mentally. That was probably the first time I cried in front of my mates and Franco [Smith] in the physio room. I felt pretty done after that."
A prolapsed disc in his neck was followed by a torn calf, which was followed by a torn quad, which was followed by an injured meniscus which required surgery.
Walker was always determined to come back stronger and says Saturday felt like the start of a new chapter.
"It felt like my debut all over again because I didn't know how to feel before the game. It was almost brand new again.
"In terms of being nervous, scared or excited - I didn't really know where I was mentally, I had it all. Usually before games I'm pretty calm, cool, collected but this one I was just a bit excited, like a wee kid. Once we ran out, I was ready to go. All of it just came back."
With WP Nel retiring at the end of the year, Walker's return to action could put him back in the mix for international selection at just the right time for player and country.
"I wouldn't say I feel much pressure," he said. "Off the back of the World Cup, I'm confident in myself. I've had conversations with Gregor [Townsend] and Peter De Villiers [Scotland's scrum coach] and I wouldn't say that I feel pressured.
"It is in the back of my head. You look at the projections about who's in front of you or behind you. It's one of those things that players might say they're not looking at, but yeah, it's in the back of my head."