Wales prop Lee returns to rugby but it's not for Scarlets

After a 14-month absence from the rugby pitch due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, Scarlets’ Wales tight-head prop Samson Lee is set to make his much-awaited return to rugby.

Lee is set to feature for Llandovery in the Welsh Premiership at Newport later today – according to the BBC.

The front rower’s injury was sustained while on duty with Scarlets in South Africa in March 2022, and the Welsh rugby star has since undergone a grueling rehabilitation process to get back to full fitness. This weekend’s game marks the first time the 30-year-old will be donning his rugby boots competitively since his injury.

Llandovery, currently sitting in second place in the Welsh rugby’s second tier, will be counting on Lee’s expertise and experience to help them maintain their position on the league table. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Newport will be looking to use the game as an opportunity to climb up the ladder and edge closer to the top spot.

Born and bred in Llanelli, Samson Lee started his rugby journey in his hometown and was part of the all-Scarlets front row at the Junior World Championships, helping Wales U20s to a third-placed finish in South Africa in 2012. He quickly rose through the ranks, showcasing his formidable scrummaging abilities and earning his first senior Wales cap in 2013. Lee has since been a regular in the national squad and was a Grand Slam winner with Wales in 2019.

Lee’s return to the pitch will undoubtedly come as good news to Scarlets, who didn’t make the URC quarter-finals and who recently bowed out of the European Challenge Cup following a semi-final defeat by Glasgow. Lee has made over 150 appearances for Scarlets.