Twelve months ago, England winger Dom Young should have been tormenting Tonga’s defence. Instead, he lay in a hospital bed.
The 23-year-old had returned to England as a superstar of the elite National Rugby League in Australia, and finished the 2023 season as top try-scorer with the Newcastle Knights.
England three-Test series with the Tongans was teed up to become the latest chapter in Young’s remarkable rise, after he had starred in the World Cup the previous autumn.
Yet his campaign was over before it started – as a far greater challenge faced him.
“It was a sinus virus that spread,” Young told BBC Sport. “I had an abscess that was pushing on the lining of my brain – it was pushing on my eye.
“I was in a bit of a mess, a bit of a state. I was in quite a lot of pain. I didn’t feel myself at all. It was a pretty scary time and my family were worried.”
There was plenty to ponder as Young set about his recovery. Rugby league was his love, his profession. He was joining the Sydney Roosters in 2024, another huge step in a blossoming career.
“I was in the hospital for a few weeks and only had an hour or so visitation time a day, so I had a lot of time to reflect,” he added.
“You can feel a bit invincible at times as an athlete, the lifestyle you have, you don’t really think those things will happen to you and you don’t worry about them, especially being young and fit.
“It definitely opened my eyes up to the bigger picture, made me realise how lucky I am to be in the position I am and how it could all have been taken away.”