Australian centre Marc Stcherbina feared he might never walk again after breaking two bones in his neck while playing for Welsh rugby club Newport Gwent Dragons earlier this month.

Speaking for the first time about his injury, sustained in France while making a tackle against Heineken Cup opponents Toulouse on December 6, Stcherbina revealed it would be up to a year before he could return to rugby.

"I wasn't quite sure if I'd be able to walk again or not," the 32-year-old told Media Wales.

Stcherbina can walk unassisted but wears a neck brace and still has some difficulty moving his right arm.

The former Australia A international described hearing two loud cracks as the C4 and C5 vertebrae in his neck "shattered" and recalled telling the Dragons' team doctor he could not feel his hands or legs.

He was stretchered off the pitch wearing an oxygen mask "more as a calmer".

"I was lying there in the Toulouse medical room still strapped to the stretcher when I began to regain some movement," Stcherbina said.

"I suppose it was 15 or 20 minutes after the accident happened when I stopped worrying about whether I was going to be paralysed and in a wheelchair for the rest of my life or not.

"It was very scary and very concerning because I have never had a neck injury before ... it was just the unknown of not being able to feel my hands and feet."

The night of the accident, surgeons inserted a metal plate and fused the vertebrae with a bone graft taken from his hip.

He was joined in France by girlfriend Tazmin the following morning and returned to Britain last week - in time to make an emotional address to Dragons team-mates ahead of their return match against Toulouse last Saturday.

Stcherbina was overwhelmed by the number of messages of support he had received from people in France, Wales and Australia and said he was open-minded about his playing future.

"It could take anywhere between seven to 12 months. People have come back after around about 10 months with similar injuries so, using that guideline, then that's what I'd be aiming for to get back on the pitch," he said.

"Obviously it'll be disappointing to end my career this way if it did come to that.

"But at the same time I can safely say I've had a good run, I've experienced a lot and I've got some fond memories of rugby.

"I have to keep remembering that I'm lucky to walk away from that injury so to go back and tempt fate, some people think I'm crazy, but the surgeon said it is possible.

"I'm just going to have to see how the rehabilitation goes and what my mindset's like."

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