Welsh rugby has seen some memorable conversions over the years.
There was John Taylor’s left-footed match-winner at Murrayfield in 1971, the Paul Thorburn touchline effort against Australia that secured third place at the 1987 World Cup and Neil Jenkins’ nerveless dink that sealed the Wembley victory over England in 1999.
Now a conversion of another kind is bearing rich fruit.
It’s less than a year since James Ratti was switched from the second row to No 8 by Cardiff coach Dai Young.
But it’s proved such a masterstroke that the 24-year-old now finds himself in Wales’ Six Nations squad.
So how did it all come about?
“It was the week after Dai had come down here,” explained Ratti.
“He pulled me into his office and said ‘Statistically, you match up more as a back-rower, is it something you’ve done previously?'
“I told him then it had been my original position before moving into the second row.
“After a chat with him and a couple of the other coaches, we thought it was something we could try to start training more as a back rower than a second row.”
What about the man behind the move? What had been Young’s thinking?
“When I arrived here, people kept telling me we needed a ball-carrier and James fitted that mould, big and strong and mobile,” said the director of rugby.
“He was already our best ball carrier regards collision dominance from the second row, so my thought process was to move him back and try and get the ball in his hands as much as possible.
“Trystan Bevan, our head of physical performance, has to take a bit of credit for it as well.
“When we were sitting down and looking at the stats, James pretty much ticked all the boxes with what we were looking for from an 8.
“We felt he could fill that role and then we sat him down and discovered he’s actually played there before, so it wasn’t completely new to him.
“I said to the coaches 'I think this is a project we should give a whirl to see if it suits him and suits us as a team'.
“He hasn’t disappointed.
“It’s been a real good move and one that he wanted to do. That’s first and foremost. He felt it was the right thing for him.”
Yet while Ratti has been performing really well in his new role, his selection as the Wales squad bolter was still something of a surprise, not least to the man himself.
Asked to sum up his reaction in one word, he replied “disbelief”.
“It’s been a bit mad,” he said.
“I was out on the field when the squad was announced, so I was probably one of the last to find out.
“One of the boys, Shane (Lewis-Hughes), came over and shook my hand.
“I thought he was having me on at the start, but then, when I went in, a couple more boys shook my hand and patted me on the back. I was like 'they must be serious'.
“So I looked at my phone and saw the email.
“I think by that point all my family had already messaged me. I gave my old man a call, and then my mum.
“They were really pleased and all the boys were great and chuffed for me.
“Over the last few days, it’s probably been disbelief more than anything else.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind.”
Ratti’s rapid rise is all the more of a story given that in 2019 he dropped down from regional level.
He’d had limited opportunities with the Ospreys, playing much of his rugby for Aberavon and Swansea, so he opted to join the Cardiff RFC Premiership side.
The aim was to catch the eye with them and force his way into the regional set-up at the Arms Park.
That’s precisely what he did, going on to feature at lock and blindside flanker for the then-Blues before his key switch to No 8.
“It’s been one heck of a journey,” he said.
“I’d like to think I always believed. You have your moments when your head is in the mud.
“But if you don’t believe you can get there, it probably affects your training and your performances.
“You don’t think too far ahead. It’s just about taking it one step at a time.
“It’s been a bit of an unusual route to get here, but I’m thankful for every opportunity I’ve had.”
Ratti says he also owes a lot to his father Leigh, who was alongside him all the way as he came through the ranks as a young No 8 at Dunvant RFC.
“He coached me from when I started at under-sevens all the way up to under-16s,” he said.
“He was Dunvant senior coach at the time when I started playing, but then after a few years he became Tata Steel coach and he was there for 10 years.
“But he kept doing my boys as well.”
So what was the old man’s reaction to the Wales call-up?
“He was a bit mad on the phone,” said James.
“There were a couple of missed calls by the time I’d even got back to the changing rooms.
“He was just chuffed for me. He’s backed me through the journey I’ve had at every level.
“Even at points where my head’s been down a little bit, he’s given me a kick up the backside and kept me pushing forward.”
Next up for Ratti is Saturday’s Champions Cup clash with holders Toulouse out in France, a challenge he describes as “dining at the top table, competing against the best”.
Then, the 6ft 4ins, 18st 6lbs forward will link up with the Welsh squad to prepare for the Six Nations.
“It’s not something I necessarily expected, but obviously I’m chuffed to be included and work starts now really,” he said.
“I think first and foremost as an eight my job is going to be ball carrying and trying to be a physical presence around the park. International rugby takes that step higher.
“I’m just going to have to keep doing what I’m doing, train relentlessly as much as I can.
“I’m one of the heavier back-rowers at around 118 kilos at the moment while still trying to be as dynamic as I can.
“Going into camp, you’ve got to impress in training.
“There’s no guarantees of game-time. You’ve got to earn the opportunities.
“You’ve got to bring a point of difference if you want to do more than just hold tackle bags all week. I want to train as hard as I can to compete with the other boys in training, and take every opportunity I might get.
“It’s about taking it all in your stride and really applying yourself, being ready to learn and improve.”
The final word goes to Young, the man behind the switch that has transformed Ratti’s rugby career.
What does he see as the strengths he will offer Wales?
“James’ go-to is the hard yards,” said Young.
“He is happy to carry in lots of traffic, tight at the rucks and get you over the gain line.
“He will definitely give you front foot ball.
“He will certainly be a willing volunteer to take the ball up as many times as possible and he will get you go-forward.
“The biggest thing for me is his game involvements.
“He carries really well, giving penetration in the middle of the field. He is always right up here with his tackle count and he hits a lot of rucks which is a testament to his work-rate.
“You couldn’t ask any more of him. He will work and work and work and try and get better at things.”
On Ratti’s journey from semi-pro level to the Wales squad, Young said: “It’s a testament to his attitude.
“He has had a few knocks along the way and he hasn’t gone off the road.
“He works extremely hard.
“He has still got things he wants to get better at, but he shows there is real promise there for him.
“He deserves his opportunity and I am sure he will love every moment of it.
“If he gets a chance to put the red jersey on, he won’t let anybody down, that’s for sure.”
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