Welsh youngster Dafydd Jenkins has given Wayne Pivac a further nudge with a man-of-the-match display in the BUCS Super Rugby final.
The athletic 6ft 7in, 17st 11lb lock scored the late try which Josh Barton converted to help Exeter University beat Durham University 14-13 in a high-class encounter at Sixways. The score crowned an excellent performance from the 19-year-old Porthcawl Comprehensive School product, highlighting why he is said to be interesting Wales ahead of their tour to South Africa this summer.
Jenkins came up with a series of lineout takes, tackled strongly and carried with purpose as he made the kind of impact that marks him down as a player to watch. His 76th-minute touchdown came after Exeter battered away at the opposition defensive line deep in Durham territory over a prolonged period.
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The west of England team could not find a way through despite multiple drives, only for Jenkins to eventually pierce the purple wall with a low and determined carry.
The match commentator enthused: “Dafydd Jenkins, the relentless engine of the Welsh lock forward, has put Exeter in a position to take the lead. He’s been giant. A try in the final, epic in the loose and he marshalled the lineout as well.”
His co-commentator said of the Wales U20s cap: “Big-time players come up with big-time plays. He has been phenomenal and come off at the right moment. He has been the standout player.”
It’s a statement of the obvious, of course, to note that a student final is light years away from what could be expected on a national-team tour of South Africa, but the game in Worcester provided more evidence of why Jenkins is rated so highly. He isn’t just mobile around the field, he is physical with it, contests ball at the breakdown and has handling skills.
Before the 2021 U20 Six Nations, a text this writer received over WhatsApp picked him out as the one to watch in the Wales age-grade set-up. The sender evidently knew his rugby. You can read more about Jenkins here.
If he were to tour with Wales in July — and his team boss at Exeter Chiefs, Rob Baxter, has counselled against it — it would likely be for the experience. But whatever happens, Jenkins looks a prospect.
His development this term has been a rare plus in a challenging campaign for Welsh rugby. Two more Welsh youngsters, full-back Dan John and hooker Oli Burrows also played prominent roles for Exeter.
