When Steve Borthwick was newly appointed as England’s head coach, his two sons, Hunter and Chase, urged him to pick Tommy Reffell – their favourite Leicester player – for the national side. The two youngsters might not have been completely up to speed with international selection criteria – Reffell made his Wales debut in the summer of 2022 – but evidently they know a player when they see one.
For the second week running Reffell produced a stunning performance in the No 7 jersey for Wales. This was just his 15th Test appearance but he has emerged as a key fixture in Warren Gatland’s greenhorn side. Ultimately he ended up on the losing team once more – Wales again unable to string together two halves – but that should take little away from Reffell’s performance. Gatland’s gallant side might have faded in the second half but he did not.
