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'I remember looking down and my foot was facing the other way' - Drew Mitchell recalls the horror injury that took years to get over

Drew Mitchell of the Waratahs is carried from the field against the Reds in 2011. (Photo by Jonathan Wood/Getty Images)

Former Wallaby winger Drew Mitchell has opened up about the mental battles that took years to overcome following a horrific ankle injury during a Super Rugby match against his old team the Queensland Reds in 2011.

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“In my own opinion, I was in the form of my career and then for that to happen on the eve of the World Cup,” Mitchell said on RugbyPass Legends.

Mitchell began an innocuous kick chase as the Waratahs hoisted a box kick, on the way to the contest he collided with loose forward Scott Higginbotham shoulder-to-shoulder and fell to the ground awkwardly, twisting his ankle and breaking his leg in multiple places.

“I remember looking down and my foot was facing the other way. That’s what rattled me the most.

“I also remember they relocated the ankle on the field, there was a lady that came over with a green whistle and she was trying to put the vial, it’s like the morphine, in the whistle, and she was spilling it everywhere and I was like ‘f***ing give me that! I need it’.”

“I soon as I sucked on that, the pain was fine.

As Mitchell departed from the field on a medical cart, he remembers vividly coping abuse from the Brisbane crowd.

“I remember going up the tunnel, and of course I’m a former Queensland Reds player that left, and I just hear this ‘suck s*** Mitchell, you c***’. I don’t know why, but that one moment really stuck out.”

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With his World Cup less than six months away, Wallaby coach Robbie Deans paid him a visit that night after the game where Mitchell pleaded with him to still pick him.

“Robbie came into the hospital that night, and I told him I would be fine for the World Cup, don’t give up on me even though my foot is in how many pieces.

Drew Mitchell made it to the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, as Deans backed his winger despite not have regular game time under his belt on return.

“I was lucky that Robbie backed me, and picked me for the World Cup even though I was underdone.”

The mental scars of the gruesome injury stayed with him long after he had returned the field, as he battled visions of every player he watched on TV dislocating his ankle and even a fan as he prepared to play a game in Wales.

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“You always get over your physical, you can do your rehab, you can do your strengthening and all the rest of it but I had a lot of trouble mentally getting over that.”

“I’d watch any sort of contact sport, and every tackle I thought that someone was going to dislocate their ankle. It obviously had an effect on me mentally. I started to see a psychologist about it, just to be ok about it. It would take myself to a place that would make me feel uncomfortable about it in order to become okay about it.

“I still remember when I came back later, even 12-months after I returned, I was on the bus on the way to a game at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and the bus goes quite slowly because you are behind a police escort on horseback.

“The street there just before Millennium, there are hundreds, thousands of people banging the bus and all the rest of it. At one point there was this Australian guy jumping up and banging on the bus window and I just pictured him falling down and dislocating his ankle.

“So even though I was back playing for a long time, I just hadn’t addressed that fear of me doing it again.”

Watch the full episode of RugbyPass Legends with Drew Mitchell below.

RugbyPass Legends – Drew Mitchell Part II:

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PL 1 hour ago
Lions Tour Aussie takes: Bigger is better, the stars who failed to fire

I find it interesting that journalists who have done nothing in rugby comment on selections & coaching like they are experts

Concussive injury’s will remove insurance cover from the game unless their is strict application of the laws designed to remove MND Parkinson’s and CTE from the game


Head on head I saw red to Adam Coleman as tackler for Irish while unconscious on a stretcher - concussions occur without twitching on the ground or the wobbly boot - I know I had maybe 20 from rugby


The officiating of last feet is non existent

The lack of effective wrap by Lions front rower & that decision had a close relationship with ordure in a toilet

A head on head tackle red for Coleman not even penalty lead to a try in a phase or 2


Powys v Evans lead to a £> 2 mill verdict against the ref personally special leveraged to Hiuse of Lords

Refs will stop reffing with no insurance then no game


About 5 years ago 4 or 5 French colts died from head hits in elite club games - that led to below sternum law - hamlets honoured in breach not observance

Last feet non existent - enforcement favour flowing rugby nor lions meat grinder forwards get momentum and puck & drive NZ Vowel noise


The UK Class Action could be very well be lost WRC will try every dirty trick in case they already used dial a neuros to argue the unarguable is law gossip


I reffed ref coached & assessed for ruffly 17 seasons


The application of laws is like a zig zag on speed

Line out laws not enforced scrums tight pulling loose down one side mirror on other side elbow pointing to ground stretch marks on jersey

Der moment the refs need to go Soec Savers

My bet unless they stop lack of intestinal fortitude game management


Yellow every time head contact or above sternum


Needs sterner GMGs material impact removed set piece caterpillar remove

Last feet to last feet + 1 m


When I reffed I kept them well apart - hated me till they got over yellow and they actually had fun & complemented me post game backs had room and pick and drive had momentum


As for intentional foul play like tackle in air auto red no replacement 100,000 fine player 250,000 club


Treble it for international 26 week suspension & it’s disappear over night

25 were scrum for dissent


Penalty all this rubbish shots at opponents after error


All the s.ite would disappear


The pathetic unsportsmanlike behaviour would lead to standards


Remember Les Boyd’s penalty re Brohman -if that is the way we treat foul play but while foul play with potential serious injury with a feather duster like we are the game is destined to no insurance following that no refs cause would you risk bankruptcy like Powys v Evans

1 Go to comments
S
Soliloquin 2 hours ago
Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

For Fischer, many people in France are still doubting him - it’s the first time he has a full season (31 games). Before, he was always injured at some point. He’s 27, so not the youngest, and you have a younger Boudehent or Jégou behind.

His physicality is incredible, but he didn’t prove he’s got hands. He just proved he was able to defend like a beast.

But you know, even Cros has improved his handling skills lately, so it’s never too late!

And he will play the Champions Cup with a solid Bayonne side, so let’s see!


I don’t agree with ‘only Fischer’: Brennan proved he’s a great 4/7 utility player, and Galthié likes those very much (Woki or Flament). He’s 23, playing for Toulouse with high concurrence, so the prospect is good. I rate him higher than Auradou, who had a few games in the 6 Nations.

For Depoortère, he had a more silent season than the previous one - injured at the worst moment during the Autumn Tests series - but came back strong with a Champions Cup and a solid partnership with Moefana. What could save him would be to start playing as a 12 when Moefana isn’t there, bulking up and become the new Jauzion.

But he’s 22 and an incredible talent at 13. His height makes me think he had more potential than your fan favorite Costes or the utility player that is Gailleton.


As for Montagne or Mallez, with the lack of quality in props, they could find a spot!

Especially Mallez who’s got a good spot to get behind Baille at Toulouse. Neti isn’t the youngest and hasn’t an international level.


And again, as Ugo Mola said, you never play with your best team.

So 30-32 player is more of a 38-40, so you need back-ups.

France knows very well how useful they can be during RWCs.

237 Go to comments
S
Soliloquin 3 hours ago
Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

Hastoy was a good prospect before the 2023 RWC, he was the fly-half who led La Rochelle to the victory in the Champions Cup final in Dublin against Leinster.

But he made it to the squad only because Ntamack got his ACL.

He played against Uruguay, which a terribly poor game by the French side, and since then he declined a bit, alongside his club.

Under the pressure of Reus and West at 10, he regained some credit at the end of the season (among all a drop at the 81st minute of a game).

He’s quite good everywhere, but not outstanding.

He doesn’t have the nerves, the defense and the tactical brain of Ntamack, the leadership and the creativity of Ramos or the exceptional attacking skills of Jalibert.


I really hope that:

-Ntamack will get his knee back. The surgery went well. He wasn’t the most elusive player in the world, but he was capable of amazing rushes like the one against NZ in 2021 or the Brennus-winning try in 2023.

-Jalibert will continue to improve his defense. He started working hard since March (after his defensive disaster against England) with a XIII specialist, and I’ve seen great moments, especially against Ntamack in the SF of the Champions Cup. It’s never too late. And it would be a great signal for Galthié.

-Hastoy will build up his partnership with Le Garrec, that La Rochelle will start a new phase with them and Niniashvili, Alldritt, Atonio, Boudehent, Jegou, Bosmorin, Bourgarit, Nowell, Wardi, Daunivucu, Kaddouri, Pacôme…

237 Go to comments
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