FULLY fit Jonny Bentley's injury worries are in the past – and now he is itching to take his Premiership chance with Gloucester.
The 26-year-old Kiwi fly-half has signed a one-year deal to join the Cherry and Whites after four years with the Cornish Pirates.
Bentley has played just five matches in two years for the Pirates, an Achilles tear following abductor muscle trouble.
The former Wellington Under-21s out-half was expected to miss three months with the Achilles problem he picked up in late 2011.
Instead he wound up requiring surgery, but that decision was not taken until midway into 2012.
Bentley went a whopping 17 months without action at the Pirates then, only able to find fitness at the tail-end of the season just completed.
But now the Upper Hut-born playmaker is fit and ready to start Gloucester's pre-season a week today – and he cannot wait.
Bentley explained: "I haven't played a great deal over the last two seasons. I've spent a lot of time in the physio room in rehab and things and I'm just champing at the bit to get out there.
"At the Pirates at the back-end of last season, when everyone else was battling the knocks and niggles that you pick up during the course of a long campaign, I was fresh and probably annoying everyone with my enthusiasm.
"It was great to get out there and run around with the squad again, and get back into the banter.
"But all that's in the past now, which is a relief to be honest.
"At times it is frustrating when all you want to do is train and play, but you just have to stick with it.
"Hopefully now I can jump straight into this pre-season with Gloucester and get stuck into some hard work.
"I've heard a lot about the conditioner Paddy (Anson) already, so I think it's going to be a tough start.
"But I just can't wait to get going now."
Front foot fly-half Bentley loves to hit the line flat and move the ball around, which is precisely why rugby director Davies has recruited him.
Ready to provide competition to the likes of Freddie Burns and Tim Taylor, Bentley hopes his natural game will suit Gloucester well.
When Bentley left New Zealand for a world rugby odyssey he did not have a top-flight professional career in mind.
But after a stint in Japan he found his niche in Cornwall, and quickly reassessed his ambitions.
He continued: "I like to play in a side that likes to throw the ball around, and play from anywhere when the time is right, and Gloucester definitely play that brand of rugby.
"It's exciting to have the opportunity to come into that set-up. There's so much talent in the squad and you just want to see that backline especially open up when the opportunities arise.
"I always saw rugby as a bit of a tool to travel the world, have your flights and accommodation covered in places.
"But when I got over and had a few games in the Championship I realised how much I enjoyed it.
"And then the next step to the Premiership became the goal really.
"It's taken a while but now I'm just looking forward to doing everything I can to make the most of this chance."
Bentley's former Pirates team-mate Rob Cook helped sell Gloucester on recruiting the English-qualified New Zealander.
Full-back Cook recently selected Bentley in his Dream Team selection for The Rugby Paper – but the new Gloucester recruit is not getting carried away by the praise.
Bentley added: "He just basically picked the Pirates team from a couple of years ago with a few Gloucester boys thrown in – I think he was trying to make us all feel good or something!
"There's some pretty exciting players in that Gloucester squad, but somehow some of us Pirates boys managed to sneak in there.
"The way Rob has progressed at Gloucester, that just goes to underline the strength of the Championship I think.
"If you look at the Premiership now then there are an increasing number of players in starting line-ups who were in the Championship two or three years ago.
"It really does seem like the Championship is getting stronger every season, and that's important for the game in England across the board."
