Dwayne Peel has identified uncapped Ryan Conbeer as a young player who could be worth his weight in gold to Wales at the 2023 World Cup.
Wayne Pivac handed starts to 11 different wings during his 34-game tenure as men's national coach but Scarlets wide-man Conbeer wasn’t among them.
But the hard-running player from the seaside town of Saundersfoot has been in such good form that his regional coach believes he has the potential to come through and be a serious option for returning Wales coach Warren Gatland for the global tournament next year.
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Asked if Conbeer was an outside bet to feature in the competition in France, Scarlets team boss Peel said: “If he keeps going like this, yeah, definitely. People who beat men, who beat collisions and beat contact are worth their weight in gold.
“Ryan seems to beat that first man most times. He is still learning and has a lot to do in terms of high ball and back-field. That’s the stuff that’s really important when it comes to international rugby. But he’s good when he gets the ball in his hands.
“Whether he gets an opportunity is up to other people. But I think he’s definitely good enough.”
Statistics underline how well 23-year-old Conbeer has been playing.
He has made as many clean breaks (130) as anyone else in the United Rugby Championship this season, beat more defenders (220) than any other Welsh player and scored four tries, as many as any other player from the regions. Of players from the Welsh professional teams, only Johnny McNicholl has made more metres than Conbeer.
Earlier this year former Wales wing Aled Brew noted that the youngster had "X-factor" about him.
What marks Conbeer out is his ability to make metres post-contact. “Some players have that mentality that they don’t want to get tackled or they refuse to get tackled - Ryan has that leg drive through contact,” said Peel. “He’s learning all the time and he wants to learn, while he’s always been a quality player who’s had great moments.
“I remember I coached Ulster when he made his debut and he scored a world-class try. He wouldn’t mind me saying he was a bit heavier then and his repeatability, that ability to do repeat work, wasn’t there. I don’t mind saying to you when we came in last here he really struggled with fitness at the start.
“What he’s done is get himself really fit and lean. He’s always been able to beat people. I think he’s very, very good. He could play at the next level when the time comes. If he gets an opportunity he’ll do well."
Conbeer maintained his form when the European season started last week, with the left wing crossing for a try in the Scarlets' 39-7 win over Bayonne.
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