As he lay on the Toulouse turf looking down at his horrifically damaged ankle, Le Roux Malan feared his rugby career was over.

But three years on, that career is positively thriving as he prepares for a reunion with his former team.

The 27-year-old centre is now plying his trade in Wales with Cardiff Rugby having made the move from the Hollywoodbets Sharks over the summer.

As fate would have it, the BKT URC fixture schedule has thrown up an early meeting with the Sharks who are the visitors to the Arms Park this Friday.

It will be a big night for Malan who has shown such resilience and determination to fight back from the gruesome injury he suffered while playing for Namibia at the World Cup in France in September 2023.

During a group match against New Zealand at Stadium de Toulouse, he sustained a catastrophic leg injury, dislocating his ankle, fracturing his fibula and tearing his semitendinosus.

“It was caught in a real freaky position,” he recalls.

“It was quite a scary experience seeing my leg facing 90 degrees.

“The first thing that came to my mind was that my career was over. The pain was unbearable.”

Malan underwent surgery on the day of the injury and while in hospital he received an All Blacks jersey from the New Zealand team signed by all their players.

“The support I got from everybody was awesome, the All Blacks, World Rugby, the medics,” he said.

After initially flying back home to Namibia, he undertook most of his rehabilitation with his club side, the New England Free Jacks in Boston, USA.

“They took me straight into their care which shows how great a club it is. That was special,” he says.

“The first two months were really slow. It started with two times per week – mobility, taking care of the scar tissue. Then we ramped it up in the new year.

“Initially, it was the healing process and regaining strength. Then heavy lifting, lots of fitness. They listened to me and how I felt, which helped a lot because it didn’t stretch my body. We were taking it step by step.

“They took very good care of me. I owe the Free Jacks’ medical staff so much.”

Just seven months after sustaining his injury, Malan returned to action and it was to prove a dream comeback as he scored a try in the MLR Championship Final, just as he had the year before, as the Free Jacks retained the title.

“It had been a rollercoaster,” he says.

“Honestly, it was very emotional. The highs were extremely high and the lows were extremely low.

“It was probably the most challenging time in my life.

“It was a weird process, one that entailed a ton of growth and experience. There was a bit of everything.”

Spells with Hawkes Bay in New Zealand and the Sharks in South Africa – where he had begun his career – followed before he signed for Cardiff.

Explaining his move to Wales, he said: “I have always been someone who wanted to travel and rugby can take me all over.

“It’s been great. Cardiff is definitely one of the coolest places I have been to. There’s a lot of history with the club as well. There have been some legends here and it’s awesome to see what the 150th anniversary means to people.

“Corniel van Zyl being a South African coach was also a big appeal.

“It’s a chance to develop my game and learn from people.”

Born in the Namibian capital Windhoek, Malan moved to South Africa with his family when he was two years old and went on to attend Paarl Boys’ High School in the Western Cape.

After playing Varsity Cup rugby for the University of Cape Town, he began his professional career with the Sharks in Durban before moving to the US in 2022, with his Test debut for Namibia coming later that year.

Since joining Cardiff, Malan has made a really positive impression, starting all three BKT URC matches and showing his versatility by wearing both 13 and 12.

Reflecting on his strengths, he says: “I pride myself on my work rate and my effort. I am a team man.

“I think I bring communication and physicality as well. I do pride myself on my ability in the contact area.

“So I think those are strong attributes I can bring to the team.”

The four-times capped centre continued: “I have been around and played all over and been coached by a few different coaches from different nationalities.

“So I think I bring not just the South African edge but maybe rugby as a whole.

“It’s been really interesting to learn all the different methodologies. It’s so contrasting.

“In South Africa, it’s forward dominance and physicality. In New Zealand, they keep the ball in play for 16 plus phases at least four times in a game.

“Then in America, I was surrounded by a bunch of different nationalities, your islanders, your Europeans, South Africans, Aussies, British. That’s definitely played a role in where I am today as a rugby player.

“I’m not just focused on a certain type of player. It’s definitely helped me.

“Now I’ve got the Welsh type of game and I am really excited to be here.

“I want to be part of a winning culture and part of something where I can see there is growth and honesty and clarity.

“I am really big on family and having a sense of camaraderie and all pulling towards a place.

“Having met all these Welsh people and seeing what Cardiff means to them has been so cool. Being part of the 150th year has been great.”