Hartley vows to return and gives revealing insight into his concussion battle

England captain Dylan Hartley has vowed to return to England and Northampton in an in-depth interview with Sky Sports Rugby.

In April the 32-year-old announced that he was pulling out of England’s summer tour of South Africa to recover from concussion, which he suffered while playing against Ireland in the Natwest 6 Nations on March 17th.

The Northampton man is observing the return to play protocols and was upbeat.

“I’m good and I’m feeling a lot better. I’ve taken some good advice from the best people going – my mum probably being at the top of the list.

“But I’m very fortunate to have some good people around me, giving me advice and ultimately, I’ve got to listen to myself, and how I am feeling as well.

“As soon as the decision was made for me not to be involved for the tail end of the season, it took a lot of pressure off.

“Rest has been the best thing for me. The mental pressure has been taken away by not trying to get back early, not trying to make it back for a tour, for end of season games.

“The best advice I got was to stay active, which I have done, but work within a framework. I’ve still got limits that I know I can go to and I’m actually looking forward to pushing the boundaries a little bit and getting the blood pumping.

Hartley is no stranger to concussion, he suffered two in the 2015/16 season, the most notable being England’s Grand Slam match against France. The 93-times capped hooker admitted aftermath that he didn’t remember lifting the trophy in Paris.

When he returned following those two head knocks Hartley admitted at the time another concussion would lead him to consider his options, but he insisted to Sky Sports it was a “throwaway comment”.

“No it was different stuff. For example, I struggled getting my heart rate up. I don’t want to go into too much detail because it’s quite personal, but it just wasn’t right. Things weren’t right. Where I’m at now is considerably better and I’m on the road to recovery.”

The Rotarua-born man insisted he’s not going to hang up his boots anytime soon.

“Being here at Twickenham today actually makes you think: ‘I’m not ready to finish playing yet’, the feeling of being here and of knowing what the guys are about to go and do still excites me.”

“With any injury, it makes you evaluate your career. But I’ve got good advice around me and knowing how I feel myself, I’m confident I’ll be back playing. And I can’t wait.”

England slumped to their fourth defeat in a row when they were beaten 63-45 by the Barbarians on Sunday, but Hartley is confident the team will perform well in South Africa on their three-Test tour, which begins on June 9th in Johannesburg.

“Looking at some of the bolters and the young guys that have been taken, it’s a great chance for them and for Eddie [Jones] to see them in that environment. If they can add to England Rugby going forward, it’s only a good thing.

“It just proves that competition is so bloody hot here, the depth is good, and we’re not in that bad a place.”

SOURCE: Sky Sports Rugby