WARREN GATLAND'S ENCOURAGING WORDS FOR NEW RECRUIT AS HE TARGETS WALES TOUR

It has been a turbulent first season in Wales for Taine Plumtree, but the Scarlets man hopes it ends with a place in Warren Gatland's squad to tour Australia this summer.

Almost immediately after signing for the Scarlets from the Auckland based Blues, the Swansea-born forward joined up with the Wales squad in Switzerland for the first of two Rugby World Cup training camp. After an impressive Test debut as a second-half replacement in the victory over England in Cardiff, Plumtree dislocated his shoulder in the reverse fixture at Twickenham.

Plumtree missed out on Wales' final World Cup squad, but after opting not to have surgery on his shoulder he was left with no choice but to go under the knife after taking a nasty knock against the Lions last autumn. "It was a bit of an untimely injury but that's just what rugby is," he said.

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"It's a contact sport and it comes with the game. I knew I had to get it. The five months did go quick but I missed a lot of rugby in that time. I'm just stoked that I'm back now and I'm feeling good. For the first three weeks I couldn't do much. I wasn't able to sweat because they didn't want it to get infected.

"The first two weeks I went to England to spend some time with my family in Surrey just to get a bit of TLC while I was pretty much on a couch and in bed. After that during the Christmas period I was able to get into return to play sessions. For about 10 weeks I was pretty much training five times a week.

"I found that I was even more busy with training that I am when I'm fit during the season. It's all really specific rehab with gym, running and working with the physio and trainers to modify to my own stuff."

Plumtree made his first appearance for five months in the Scarlets' 43-18 defeat to Edinburgh last Saturday. The athletic 24-year-old is highly thought of by the Wales management and was name-checked by Gatland during the Six Nations as a potential option for summer Tests against South Africa at Twickenham and a two-Test series against the Wallabies in Australia.

"That summer tour is in the back of my mind a little bit," said Plumtree. "It's nice that I get these five games to hopefully get my groove back and start playing some decent footy again before that side gets selected.

"I was up against a lot of good loose forwards and that's why I think I didn't make it really. I was able to play about six weeks after I did that injury.

"There's a lot of good loose forwards in that set-up and I think I just missed out which is quite unfortunate. I can't imagine the injury helped my case too much unfortunately.

"I haven't really chatted to Gats since that pre World Cup stint I had. My main focus has been my stuff around the Scarlets [but] I got some encouraging words once I left that camp. I haven't really been in touch with any of them since."

Plumtree is a player who has an almost perfect blend of athleticism and physicality while he can also play across all back-five positions of the scrum.

Explosive ball carrying forwards are in short supply in Welsh rugby in general but Plumtree sees no reason why he can't bring a hard carrying edge to both the Scarlets and Wales packs. "I think predominately a six," said Plumtree when asked what is his preferred position.

"I want to learn the skillset of an eight a little bit more. I think I can play eight but I haven't played much of it. It isn't too different to being a six but there are those little skills you know as an eight that you don't really do as a six.

"I don't really see myself as a lock anymore but if something was to happen like a lock goes down or a lock gets yellow carded I'm more than happy to slot into a scrum or a lineout or whatever. Toby Faletau is one of those eights you are talking about.

"My game's a bit different to his. I don't know whether that's a skill I'm going to pick up the more I play this level of professional rugby or not.

"But I think in terms of versatility I'm good in terms of my ball carrying so I don't see why not at all." But first of all there's the small matter of facing South African outfit the Sharks in Llanelli on Friday, a side coached by his father John.

"There's been a little bit of chat between me and dad in the lead up to it. I guess there was a bit of bragging rights on the dinner table for sure. I think if I'm able to get up I might even get the head of the table for dinner when I'm back in New Zealand which will be nice.

"It is just another game really in terms of our lead up to it and our prep. Dad has always been that pillar in the background that's helped me out with all the rugby stuff with my career and he still does."

2024-04-23T17:15:11Z dg43tfdfdgfd