Lukhanyo Am was in the definite conversation for being the best player in the world in 2022 before his knee injury against Australia in the Rugby Championship. The Sharks outside centre unlocked levels of his game previously unseen or imagined, notably in the Boks win and loss to the All Blacks in Mbombela and Ellis Park, respectively. He returned to the field for the first time in the middle of December, when he came off the bench in the Champions Cup clash with Bordeaux Bègles at the Stade Chaban-Delmas. Even in that cameo, when he replaced Francois Venter, who also went down with a leg injury, Am looked a cut above the rest, as the Sharks snuck a priceless win away in France at the first time of asking. Now that his franchise is entering the home straight in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and Champions Cup, and the Springboks have zeroed their focus on France’s Rugby World Cup later this year, Am has become an increasingly important figure.

"It’s a big year. Starting with the Sharks, I want to get as much game time as I can and get to where I need to be," said Am this week. "And to also play good rugby for the Sharks, so that I can get selected for the Springboks and be able to perform for the Boks. "From a Boks point of view, I’ll try giving my best as much as I can. I don’t know if I’ll start where I left off or it will take some time to get to that point.

"But I just need to be physically ready and able and I’ll take it from there." Sibusiso Mjikeliso | Lower tackle law won't change rugby, but SA players must get smarter It’s the first time Am has suffered a serious injury since the hand injury he suffered months before the Boks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, which was not serious enough to threaten his participation. A knee injury, though, had the potential to keep him out for long and to steal the magic from his legs. None of that came to pass and Am returned with the same spring in his step. Despite the challenging end to 2022, Am was glad to quickly return to the Bok fold in terms of their three-week national camp held in Cape Town.

"It’s been a challenging time with the injury but it was really exciting to be back on the pitch for the Sharks. Even getting back to the Springbok setup," he said. "The last time I was with the boys was during the Rugby Championship. I managed to catch up with them and with how things are and where we want to go. "I’m really happy that I was involved in the camp in terms of the conditioning side of things, where I should be in terms of the international demands, so I’m happy.

" The Sharks have made a concerted effort to rest their Springboks, sometimes at the risk of their URC ambitions. Some, like Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth, got almost two months off from playing time while they took care of various personal interests. The Bok camp interrupted the break, where head coach Jacques Nienaber put 14 players of national interest through their paces. Am said the rest and the Bok-franchise alignment worked splendidly to keep them fit and refreshed. "I feel like you want players to be ready, fit and fresh, especially in a World Cup year," Am said.

"You don’t want guys to be underplayed. We all know the rugby demands, they can be quite high, and you don’t want certain guys to be overplayed, either. "It’s going to be a long year. We don’t want guys to be fatigued towards the end of the year. We want a slight progression each week, so that we peak by World Cup time.

"I’ll say credit to SA Rugby and the franchises for trying to make things work for everyone."