When discussing his 2017, “frustrating” is a phrase Cumbrian rugby union back Will Addison regularly uses to describe his year on the pitch. It is easy to see why, too, after an injury-hit year.

Having been tipped by Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond to force his way into England contention in April 2016, the King’s Meaburn lad was hoping to press home his case for an international call-up even further last year.

But then, injuries struck. A broken toe sidelined Sharks’ club captain for the final months of the 2016/17 season, and more knocks have meant the 25-year-old has not been able to get fully fit so far this term.

“I broke my jaw in September which was totally out of the blue and nothing you can plan for,” he says.

“It was really unfortunate for me and, since then, because I’ve had a few problems in the past, I’ve probably rushed myself back from my jaw injury and then put some pressure on the rest of my body. That’s meant a couple of things have just flared up.

“Luckily nothing really serious, but it has been incredibly frustrating.

"But due to hard work and hard work from the medical team [at Sale], I have got to a stage now where, hopefully, I can string some games together.”

Over the festive period, Penrith-born Addison has returned to first-team action with the Sharks, coming off the bench in the 20-16 loss at Gloucester Rugby before starting in the 30-29 victory over Harlequins.

“We probably let them back into it and were our own worst enemy at times,” Addison says on Saturday’s success.

“But good character from the guys allowed us to eke out a win. It was a much better performance than we put in the week before [against Gloucester].

“It was good to get the win and we were really happy with it. It was traditional Sale style to keep things right down to the wire which we are trying to change in our game.

“We are trying to make it a bit easier. We had a good win against Bath a few weeks ago and we kind of put them to bed quite early on. We had an opportunity to do that in the first half against Harlequins but we kind of let our foot off the gas a little bit.

“That is something we are looking at and, hopefully, our fans might have an easier ride if we get that right.”

How has Addison’s body felt on his return from injury after what, so far, has been a stop-start campaign for him?

He admits: “It has been good. It has probably been the most frustrating injury of my career, really. It has been a strange period for me.

“I’ve had hamstring tendonitis which is a bit of an unknown one for me. It is not a hamstring tear but it is a case of getting over the pain-barrier.

“I have managed to do that and finally got in a bit of training. That has really helped. The medical team at Sale have been fantastic. I would attribute a lot of my recovery to them because I’m really close to some of the medical team.

“It has been great to work with them. I was meant to ease my way into games which I did at Gloucester and then, unfortunately for Denny Solomona, he had a bit of a neck twinge from England training.

“So, that meant I came into start. It threw me in the deep end, which is probably what I needed. It gave me the confidence I could play a full 80 [minutes] which was great.”

“Touch wood, I feel great now,” he adds. “I’m very in tune with my body after bashing it around and picking up some different injuries.

“Last year, I got to a really good point where I was playing week-in, week-out, and then I picked up a bit of a freak injury.

“The thing for me is I don’t think I’m becoming injury-prone. I’ve just had these unlucky injuries that you can’t predict. It has been more of a mental test than a physical test.”

The former pupil at Penrith’s Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, who went on to graduate from the University of Manchester with a business degree, knows it will not be easy to regain a regular first-team spot at Sale, but admits he would “always back” himself to impress enough.

He says: “I would always back myself to get in there.

“This has probably been the first year where we’ve got lots of players who are equally good. We have some real talent in the back-line especially.

“As soon as you get back to being almost fit, there is a huge amount of pressure on you to train well, let alone play. It all starts on the training pitch, trying to stake a claim there.

“I have done that. I played OK at the weekend. I was a bit disappointed with some bits but, hopefully, I can work on those in training now.

“But I was really chuffed just to get back and play 80 minutes.”

Addison knows, though, it will be a real squad effort in their next four matches, with back-to-back European Challenge Cup matches against French opposition followed by consecutive Anglo-Welsh Cup clashes.

“We chatted about that in the team meeting on Tuesday. The real progress we have made this year and the results we have had in the past six weeks has been done to, not only the 15 and 23 that have been involved, but it’s down to the whole squad,” he accepts.

“We have a really competitive, close-knit squad. The hardest job in rugby is for the guys who aren’t involved on a matchday.

“They need to get up for training and prepare the team in the way they would like to be prepared. It has been a real tribute to the squad because the preparation has been a lot better than it has been in the past.

“That is down to the squad, not just the 15 guys who take the field.”

Elsewhere, it has been an interesting year for Cumbria’s other elite rugby union players on the international stage with Carlisle-born Chris Harris representing Scotland in last year’s autumn internationals, before Stirling-born Gary Graham, the son of former Scotland prop George, was called-up to England’s training camp last week.

“My mum is Irish actually,” former England Under-20 international Addison reveals.

“Yeah, that’s a funny one when it comes to the Six Nations [starting next month].

“Cumbria could probably be a country on it’s own.

“For now, I think I will just focus on getting some game-time for Sale.”

Addison will always be a part of Sale history having been the scorer of the first try at the AJ Bell Stadium and the scorer of the last Sharks’ try at their old Edgeley Park ground.