It is a name which will be unfamiliar to a lot of Welsh rugby fans, so just who is Sam Wainwright?
In a sentence, he is the uncapped prop who has been called up to Wayne Pivac’s squad for the tour of South Africa.
But here is the full lowdown on the Saracens tighthead who has replaced the injured Leon Brown in the party for the three-Test series against the Springboks:
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What is Wainwright’s background?
He was born in May 1998, which means he has just turned 24, and grew up on the north Wales coast, attending Prestatyn High School and Coleg Llandrillo, taking up rugby at Rhyl RFC. His talent as a young prop was soon spotted and he was picked up by RGC 1404, aged 15, going on to make his Welsh Premiership debut for them at 18.
Former international scrum-half Rupert Moon was the head of north Wales rugby at the time and has a clear memory of Wainwright’s determination to succeed: “I spoke to his mum and dad in 2015, when he was 17, and told them he is a rare breed and they should be proud. He had the most amazing training ethic from a young age. He emptied the tank every session and was so eager to learn and do the right thing. He was very kind and respectful too and had a lovely supportive family."
Who were the big influences on the young prop?
Talking to the Rugby Paper back in 2019, he said: “First and foremost, it’s my mum and dad. They put a great set of values into me and never forced me to go into sport or anything, but they had a massive impact on me and have never missed a game since I was 12.
“After that, I had some great coaches at RGC 1404 and Llandrillo College, in particular Josh Leach, Phil John and Mark Jones. Looking back at the stuff Phil did at the Scarlets, it just inspires you to get to that level. He was a huge help to me, especially with his scrummaging knowledge and that made a difference. He, Mark and Josh put a lot of time into me and I’m grateful for that.”
Wainwright also pointed to All Blacks brothers Owen and Ben Franks as props who made a real impression on him as a youngster.
“As players I looked up to, the Franks brothers were pretty big role models," he said. "When I was younger, I just thought they brought something different to the table. It was their style of play, they weren’t just your traditional props.
“I looked at documentaries on them and they just did things a bit differently to other players and offered a bit more. With the way front rowers are going now, the scrum and set-piece still have to be solid, but it’s all the stuff outside that. Props have to be athletic these days and your job involves that as well, so the way the Franks brothers conditioned themselves and managed things off the pitch is a great example to aspiring guys like me. You can see the huge success they’ve enjoyed.”
How did his rugby journey progress?
He established himself as a regular in the RGC set-up while still a teenager and was called up by Wales U20s for the 2018 Six Nations campaign, making his debut for Jason Strange’s team in a 36-3 victory over Scotland in the opening round at Colwyn Bay.
The following season, his consistent playing time continued as he featured in 22 out of 30 league matches for RGC. iIt was at the end of that campaign, in late May 2019, when news broke he was joining Saracens, who had just been crowned both English and European champions. He had been linked with both London Irish and Harlequins, too, but chose Sarries.
Explaining that decision, he said: “I had a few options but wanted somewhere I felt was best for my development. When you took out the fact they were European champions and looked at things objectively, that was Saracens because the way they treat young players is second to none. I’ve got to prove my worth now. I’m relishing this opportunity and it’s the best place to develop my rugby.”
So, how has he got on at Saracens?
Well, his first-team opportunities have been somewhat limited with international tightheads Vincent Koch, Juan Figallo and Titi Lamositele having been on the books during his time at the club.
He had a spell out on loan at Paul Turner’s Ampthill to get some game-time and made eight appearances for them in the English Championship.
In all, the former sports coaching student has played 18 games for Sarries during his three seasons with the club, with his rare starts coming in the Premiership Rugby Cup, most recently against Wasps in late March.
How has his Wales call up come about?
Having been capped at age-grade level, Wainwright is someone who would have been monitored over the years and this season he has started to get more game-time for Sarries, with his appearances into double figures, including a number of outings off the bench in the Premiership and Europe. So there would have been a decent chance for the Welsh selectors to weigh up his form.
They clearly must have been impressed by what they saw because they have now turned to him to replace the Dragons’ Leon Brown who has been ruled out with a nerve issue to his shoulder.
While he has been capped at U20s level, Wainwright is dual-qualified through his Welsh mother and English father, so this was also now an opportunity to bring him firmly into the fold and potentially get him capped on tour.
If that happens, that does, of course, mean he would need to join one of the Welsh regions when he is out of contract at Sarries if he wants to continue his international career, under the Welsh Rugby Union's 60-cap rule.
Looking around at the other tighthead options, the experienced Samson Lee is sidelined after rupturing his Achilles tendon, while fellow Scarlet WillGriff John looks to have slipped down the pecking order and it appears as though the Ospreys’ South African-born Tom Botha may not now be eligible on residency amid the switch to a five year qualification period.
So the door has opened for the younger Wainwright with an eye on the future. As for what he will bring to the party, he has the raw physical attributes at 6ft and 17st, while he is renowned for his solidity in the scrum, his strong carrying and his general work rate.
With Tomas Francis firmly entrenched as the starting No. 3, Wainwright will compete with Dillon Lewis for a bench berth in the three Tests. For a young prop, there can be fewer better learning experiences than touring South Africa, so it will be a big few weeks ahead for the north Walian.
