When Elliot Dee made his Test debut against Georgia in 2017, the expectation among the more informed rugby pundits was how he would eventually be the man to replace Ken Owens as Wales' first-choice hooker.
The Penallta product was a key figure in the Wales squad leading up to, and at, the 2019 Rugby World Cup, firmly embedded as Owens' understudy. He has only started 10 of his 41 Tests for Wales to date, but that wasn't too much of an issue; after all, at one time Owens himself found himself stuck in the 'super-sub' category behind the likes of Matthew Rees, Scott Baldwin and Richard Hibbard.
But if one was to say he's had a rough time of it over the past four years it would certainly be considered an understatement. First off former Wales boss Wayne Pivac preferred Scarlets hooker Ryan Elias to Dee, even favouring underrated Ospreys man Sam Parry while the rise of Dewi Lake saw the Dragons star fall further down the pecking order.
A series of injuries to his knee and collarbone did not help matters, neither did playing for a Dragons side who were appallingly bad during the reign of Dean Ryan whose militaristic approach didn't go down well at Rodney Parade.
When former Ireland hooker and well-respected Irish TV pundit Bernard Jackman was head coach of the Dragons, he once described Dee as "an outstanding player with massive potential". To be fair Dee has won 41 caps for his country which is not to be sniffed at, but there is a feeling he could take his game to another level in the international arena provided he gets a run of games, and with Gatland back at the helm the next few months could be the time where Dee reaches the "massive potential" Jackman alluded to back in 2018.
After missing out on the last few national squads, Dee has been given a big opportunity this summer, getting selected in an extended Wales training group as one of four hookers alongside the experienced Owens, Lake and Elias. While most people would bet on the other three making the cut, this writer is not so sure.
Lake may well have the highest ceiling of this group of hookers, and Elias is a very physical player who has endured unfair criticism, while Owens was first choice during the Six Nations. But on BBC's ScrumV podcast this week Gatland made a point of making clear nobody's place is secure, no matter how experienced a player he is.
The New Zealander has never been afraid to make controversial, left-field decisions out of nowhere - just ask Brian O'Driscoll - and while Owens remains a solid performer, at 36 he is not guaranteed his place in the final squad. When this journalist asked one of the most intelligent international rugby players he knows over WhatsApp for his opinion of Dee, he simply replied "he's a machine, mate".
Ask any of his peers what they think of the Newbridge man and they'll likely point to his fitness and mental toughness; two traits which Gatland has always placed a great emphasis on, especially at a World Cup.
"I've loved working with Elliot," said Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan. "He took a nasty injury in the autumn and he missed the Six Nations through that injury but time in the saddles along with competition between him, Brodie (Coghlan), and Brad (Roberts) has been good for him.
"Elliot's strength is he can ball play, run around the field, and his lineout throwing is unbelievable along with his set-piece." While Lake and Elias are proven international performers, Dee has the edge at the lineout with his throwing-in more accurate than the other two.
He's also a dynamic hooker who can get over the gain-line and puts a lot of tackles in while he is often a nuisance at the breakdown. Gatland has always rewarded players for their endeavours in training and if Dee can avoid any further injury setbacks then he could be a key player for Wales in France this autumn.
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