Playing a leading role in Wales’s assault on the World Cup being staged in Guildford, England, Taylor’s tournament was cruelly cut short when she was carried off the pitch against South Africa.
The Bangor-born product cast a forlorn figure as she was left to watch the remaining games from the sidelines with an ankle ligament rupture in her left leg. Her absence was a huge loss to the Welsh side as Wales ultimately finished in a disappointing ninth position.
Taylor is the first to admit that she faced some ‘dark days and shed the occasional tear along the way’ once she underwent surgery late in 2010.
However ‘Tayls’ isn’t your average player. Standing at 5ft 9in and barely hitting the scales at 12st, she has always had to punch way above her weight at the highest level.
Her strength of character, desire to wear the red shirt of Wales again and sheer determination to get back playing the game she loved saw her appear remarkably in the last two games of last year’s championship. A feat which astounds Wales forwards coach Liza Burgess.
“Her drive and motivation to come back from where she was is remarkable. Her level of fitness and wholehearted desire to get back is an example to all,” enthused Burgess.
“Her surgery was pretty major and must have been a traumatic experience but she never let it get to her which showed her mental toughness. She may have been down but she never let it show when she was around the girls because she is so driven.”
Taylor was slightly taken aback when head coach Rhys Edwards approached her to be captain.
“I was in the gym and he asked me if I wanted some time to think about it it didn’t take me long to say ‘yes’. It was a pleasant surprise to be asked but I’m really chuffed. It’s a huge honour to lead your country.”
“We’ve got some big games coming up, starting with the match against Scotland before taking on England at Twickenham and playing Italy at the Millennium Stadium. That’s going to be huge for the girls and hopefully we’ll get plenty of support there to back us.
“But hopefully we can get a result against Scotland at Pandy Park to go into the matches against England and Italy with plenty of confidence.”
Wales Women v Scotland Women, Pandy Park, Cross Keys, Sunday 1pm
