NIGGLING knee trouble has helped Jonny May start to master rugby's mental approach.
Gloucester's speed king has claimed the Premiership player of the month award for February, chiefly for two stunning tries in the 27-11 victory at Northampton.
Relishing settling to the task of specialising on the left wing, pace ace May revealed he did not waste his three months battling a frustrating knee ligament problem.
Rather than let the nagging problem get the better of him, the 22-year-old said he took the time to work out how to shift his mindset – to improve his consistency.
May hobbled out of Gloucester's 29-22 Kingsholm victory over Wasps on September 22, expecting to miss just a few weeks.
But complications with his recovery kept him out of action until the 36-16 Mont de Marsan win on January 19.
Not one to kick his heels, Swindon-born May said he started kicking out some unnecessary stress instead.
Delighted to receive the player of the month award, May explained: "The injury just gave me some time to think about what I could work hard on, and hopefully I've come back and worked on those things, and I'm a better player for it now.
"Without the injury, maybe I wouldn't be playing the way I am now, so that's the way I've got to look at it really.
"I just wanted to change my mentality and approach to the game, to stop get so stressed out and have a little bit more self-belief.
"And then I wanted to focus on the specifics of coming back and playing on the wing, and also getting my speed back.
"But more than anything I wanted to come back in a mentally stronger place.
"I think I'm still working on that now, but hopefully that can improve and I will be stronger for it.
"It's just the week-in, week-out pressure that gets me sometimes: you can have a great game, enjoy Saturday night and Sunday, and then it's the shock of needing another big game the week afterwards.
"So it's just working on my mentality, just trying to focus on myself more than anything, and try not to worry too much about anything negative or anything that's going on around me.
"It's just something that you've got to do for yourself really.
"But the wing was a big decision as well, after playing here, there and everywhere over the last few seasons.
"I feel like I'm starting to slot into that position well, so I'm happy with that as well.
"It's very pleasing to have come back and surpassed my expectations with the way I've been playing, and to have won this award.
"It's good to get back on the scoresheet and get some tries under the belt, it builds my confidence.
"For the rest of the season I've just got to focus on playing my game, but the award is a real bonus."
Gearing up for Gloucester's first game in three weeks on Satuday, May said the Cherry and Whites must match London Welsh in the mind games.
May expects a huge backlash from the Exiles at Kingsholm on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) after their five-point disciplinary deduction that leaves them bottom of the Premiership.
Gloucester have five league games left in which to hit back into the league's top-four – and May revealed boss Nigel Davies has highlighted four key principles to his squad this week.
May continued: "The first is discipline: not just giving away penalties but sticking to what we do and not going off script.
"And then it's ambition, the contact area and the set-piece.
"Those are our four big areas.
"I'm pretty happy with ambition being in there, but I think they all work together.
"Welsh are a team that's going to be scrapping for their lives, but we're probably favourites going into this game, being back at Kingsholm.
"We've got to make sure we want it just as much as them, because otherwise they could cause us a lot of problems.
"They've got a big point to prove, they will be fighting like mad after having those points docked, but I think if we can match them mentally then I think that's where the battle will be won."
