Injured Wallaby Pat McCabe is confident his broken neck will be ''stronger than ever'' as he aims for a round-one Super Rugby comeback next year to launch himself back on to the Test radar.
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The 20-cap Wallaby has broken his neck twice since November last year. But McCabe has returned to running for the first time since re-fracturing his C1 vertebra against the British and Irish Lions in June.
The double injury blow and spending almost five of the past 10 months in a neck brace almost ended his career.
He has lost five kilograms since the injury but was cleared to start running last week and will join the Brumbies for pre-season training.
''In the past three or four years I've kind of just being doing enough to get myself ready and pre-season has been interrupted by injury or Wallabies,'' McCabe said.
''This time I'll be ready to go. The surgeons and specialists have told him his neck will be stronger this time.
''My goal is to just try to play well for the Brumbies … I haven't spoken to [Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie], so I will just do what I can for the Brumbies and see what happens.''
McCabe first broke his neck on the Wallabies' spring tour of Europe last year. In his comeback, he injured his hamstring and knee before he broke his neck again against the touring Lions.
But the 25-year-old is determined to put his injury-riddled run behind him to focus on resurrecting his career.
His international future is unclear after McKenzie took over from sacked Wallabies coach Robbie Deans in July.
Deans promoted McCabe to the Test ranks in 2010 and rewarded his impressive form with a spot at the 2011 World Cup.
However, in his absence Brumbies teammate Christian Lealiifano has all but cemented his place as Australia's first-choice inside-centre.
McCabe will have to find a way to fit into the Brumbies back line that made it to the Super Rugby grand final this year.
''I'll have a scan once every two months just to make sure it's healing well and how well it heals will determine how much I can do and how quickly,'' McCabe said.
''So far so good. I'll build into contact training at the start of next year with a vision of playing in trial games and being available for selection in round one next year.''
