The 24-year-old loosehead missed Englands summer tour Down Under after undergoing keyhole surgery on an Achilles injury.

It meant he turned to revolutionary new techniques in his race to be fit for the new season, spending the last week in a state-of-the-art hyperbaric chamber in Poole.

Baths head of physical preparation, Chris Mallac, told the Bath Chronicle: The hyperbaric chamber is used more as a post operation healing stimulant.

The Achilles tendon has poor blood circulation and by undergoing this procedure an increased flow of oxygen to the tendon is induced and that helps to kick-start the healing process.

Flatman is confident the eight-day course has helped him, saying: There is still a long way to go in terms of recovery, but this procedure is intended to increase the efficiency of the recovery. I have certainly noticed the difference.