'It was a really tough decision' - Will Addison reveals how playing through injury ruined his Six Nations chances

Ireland supporters may only have seen glimpses of Will Addison's ability, but it has been enough for many to get excited about he could add to Andy Farrell's side going forward.

Addison's quality has never been in doubt, and but for a spate of injuries, which have increasingly become a cause for concern, we almost certainly would have seen him win more than the four caps he picked up since joining Ulster from Sale Sharks two years ago.

The 27-year old had put himself in contention of making last year's World Cup squad, until a niggling calf problem put a swift end to his dreams.

It was a devastating blow for the versatile back, who had demonstrated exactly what he was about during Ireland's warm-up game in Cardiff, and just when it looked as though he would use the off-season to get himself fully right for the new campaign, injuryagain hampered his progress this season.

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Not many people have welcomed rugby's enforced lockdown, yet the time off has allowed Addison's body to recover, so much so that he believes he is finally back to full fitness.

"I'm good," he said today, via a conference call.

"I'm one of the lucky ones that the pandemic gave me a chance to rehab the body and refresh. It's really beneficial for me in that way.

"It's been one of the most frustrating seasons personally, just a lot of highs and lows and I've had to learn about myself.

"I've gone through a lot of injuries in my career and probably dealt with them quite well, but with a World Cup squad after the back the injury, then not making the plane, then thinking there was a chance to make it, it's been really up and down.

"(I've had) A couple of knocks through the season, but still making the Heineken Cup quarter final, (there have been) more highs and lows. Then the Six Nations and really feeling like I could stake a claim before the body let me down again.

"I think it's testament to the environment that Faz (Farrell) has been able to create already that even with me feeling miserable with my calf, I really enjoyed the time I had in camp and that was in a rehab line.

"I'm really looking forward to being in that environment fully fit and raring to go."

Addison revealed that he played through the pain earlier this season in a bid to help Ulster make it to the knockout stages of the Champions Cup.

It was a brave decision, but reflecting on it now, he knows it cost him at a crucial stage of the year.

"It was over in Clermont when I picked up the calf injury 60 minutes into the game and had the tear in the calf," Addison explained.

"But obviously the next weekend being what it was with the home game against Bath and qualifying for the quarter-finals, I felt I had to put myself in the frame for that.

"I am really happy I did, but unfortunately I exacerbated the injury during that game and that meant it was a longer rehab process which impacted my involvement in the Six Nations.

"It was a really tough decision when you are involved in a knockout fixture in Europe as we were against Bath.

"It is one of those things that happens in your career, sometimes you come to a crossroads, but I am glad that we did it and then we made it through to that quarter-final."

A recent two-year contract extension has added to Addison's excitement about the future, as he looks to build on an impressive start to life in Ulster.

Farrell will also have played a key role in ensuring that the former England underage international, who qualifies for Ireland through his Fermanagh-born mother, wasn't tempted to return home.

Given Addison's ability to play all across the back-line, not to mention his undoubted quality, he is sure to feature in plenty of Ireland squads going forward, as long as he can stay fit.

"I'm massively aspirational," Addison insisted.

"When I first came over I wouldn't have been a name that leapt off the page for Irish fans, but it was something that I really wanted to do.

"First and foremost, it was playing for Ulster but backing myself and backing my own talent I wanted to be in that Ireland frame as well and I was fortunate to do that in my first year.

"It's definitely in the forefront of my mind, I want to be in that squad, then challenging for a starting place and challenging for trophies as well.

"That came into the decision for sure and hopefully I can put my best foot forward in the next few seasons."

Addison has just returned to Belfast, having spent the last nine weeks at home on the family farm in Cumbria.

His father runs an organic dairy farm with a 200-strong herd, so the tough work has not been in short supply – whether it was shifting hay bales or milking the cows, the 5.30am starts were hugely rewarding.

Now back in Ulster, Addison's mindset has refocused on rugby and its hopes of resuming in August, with a series on inter-provincial fixtures pencilled in for the Aviva Stadium behind closed doors.

"When that comes I'm sure rugby players as a whole - although I can't speak for everyone - but we want to get back to what we love,” he added.

"As long as that's safe and secure, that will hopefully be soon. We see ourselves as hopefully giving a bit of social uplift in the future as well.

"If we can get out in front of an empty stadium but in front of TV screens, we can give some sort of social uplift, which we will be happy to do."