Former All Black Thomson still struggling to walk

Former All Black Adam Thomson remains at Tsukuba Memorial hospital in Tokyo, still unable to walk following his mystery illness more than a month after being struck with "excruciating pain".

He was later diagnosed with lumbar discitis — an infection in the intervertebral disc space and expected to make a full recovery and return to training.

However, on Friday Thomson's representative Brooke Howard-Smith said that the 35-year-old's recovery was ongoing.

"We're hoping to have more information next week, but Adam had some blood tests come back yesterday and they were clear of infection," Howard-Smith told the NZHerald.

"At this stage, it looks like it'll be another one to two weeks in hospital for him before he can get out of there.

"As I said, we're hoping to have more information next week, but he's due to come back to Auckland to continue his recovery back in New Zealand next month."

Thomson posted an update last week saying: "Everyday that you can walk yourself to the bathroom is a good day. The first time I tried this I collapsed with my pants around my ankles . . . "

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His playing future remains uncertain after joining NEC Green Rockets in 2017 after four seasons with the Canon Eagles in the Japan Top League.