Sam Warburton has revealed how he first came across Wales' emerging star Christ Tshiunza in a chance encounter five years ago.
Aged just 20 and capped twice by Wales last autumn, the imposing lock/back-rower has seen his stock go through the roof so far this season. His effort against Harlequins last weekend saw him score two tries and make 124 metres from 11 carries — an average gain of 11.3 metres, the most by any forward to make 10+ carries in a Gallagher Premiership rugby match since 2010.
While rugby fans both sides of the border will be sitting up and taking notice, Warburton has been aware of Tshiunza's talent for some time.
Read next: Exeter face 'interesting' challenge to keep Christ Tshiunza as Welsh clubs put on alert
Driving down his street in Rhiwbina around five years ago, former Wales and Lions captain Warburton was struck by the size of a youngster among a group of schoolboys, who was a lot bigger than his peers, heading in his direction.
"For some reason I thought to myself: 'He would make a great rugby player'," he says in his column for The Times.
Just six months later, Warburton's agent Derwyn Jones was on to him about a promising teenager at Whitchurch High School.
"It was only when I went into Whitchurch to do a session a little while afterwards that I linked the two incidents to that same young lad, whose name I was told was Christ Tshiunza," Warburton recalls.
"He was such a humble and nice kid. I was fascinated by his story. He was born in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and his lovely family had come to Wales in 2010. They knew nothing of rugby but at Whitchurch he had begun playing and had taken to it under the wing of Steve Williams, the coach and teacher who had previously had such an influence upon my early years. Apparently, because they did not understand the game, his parents took some persuading as to how good Christ could be."
Later, when Tshiunza, who was on the academy books with Cardiff, was approached by English Premiership side Exeter Chiefs, it is Warburton who he took advice from.
"It was a tricky situation for me, given my links with Cardiff that remain today, but I had to take my personal interest out of it and be honest with Christ, who is obviously a very intelligent young man as well as such a gifted athlete. I remember sitting down with him, Derwyn and Steve and saying: 'Everyone is going to want to pull you from pillar to post here and sell you the dream. They all want you as an asset. You just have to go where you think is best for your rugby, your education and your happiness. The last part is so important. You have to go with your gut instinct'.
"The Chiefs had made a real effort. Their director of rugby, Rob Baxter, had driven up to Whitchurch early one morning before an Exeter training day to speak to Christ. I was conflicted here, but if Christ was going to leave Wales, he could not have chosen a better environment (he is at Exeter University as well) in which to develop his rugby."
Tshiunza signed a four-year academy contract with Exeter in 2019, and has gone from strength to strength for the academy, university side and now the senior first team, and former No. 7 Warburton believes he will challenge for a starting spot at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
"There is simply no stopping Christ now, in my opinion," Warburton adds. "He looks to me as if he is chiselled from iron.
"I have been surprised to see him at open-side, but with the way Exeter play he actually fits in well there. However, I see his international future more as a player who can easily interchange between lock and blind-side flanker."
As for next year's World Cup in France, the former skipper adds: "I would be surprised if he is not starting for Wales by then."
READ NEXT:
World Rugby hold first talks with suffering players' legal team
Ospreys v Glasgow team news at Tipuric left out but three Test players return
Benetton v Scarlets team news as Wales favourites back amid injury pile-up
Dragons v Sharks team news as gifted young fly-half steps up to the plate
Jonah Holmes speaks publicly for the first time about ending Wales career
