Hamer-Webb puts himself in Wales wing contention

Since Louis Rees-Zammit's departure to the NFL, Wales have been crying out for someone with the former Gloucester man's finishing prowess.

Rio Dyer looked like he may be the answer, but he has fallen away in recent times, missing out on Warren Gatland's recent Six Nations squad.

Wales' wings for yet another winless showpiece tournament were Tom Rogers, Josh Adams, Ellis Mee and Joe Roberts and Rogers' try against Ireland meant he was the only Welsh wing to score in the tournament as Wales' attack faltered.

Hat-trick hero

In last Saturday's 'Judgement Day' at the Principality, one man stole the headlines.

Ex-Bath winger Gabriel Hamer-Webb scored an emphatic hat-trick of tries as Cardiff beat the Ospreys 36-19 to maintain their play-off pursuit.

That took the 24-year-old's tally to six tries in 11 starts this term.

Comparisons with rival Welsh wings

The Dragons' Dyer has scored three times in 18 appearances, while his Newport teammate Rogers has touched down on four occasions in 17 games.

Former British & Irish Lion and Hamer-Webb's opposite wing Adams has crossed the whitewash five times in nine outings.

Scarlets' Mee has scored three times in 17 appearances, and fellow Llanelli player Roberts has scored only once in 15.

Welsh eligibility

You may be wondering how Bath-born Hamer-Webb, who won two caps for England U20s, could represent Wales, but Hamer-Webb is Welsh-qualified through his mother's side of the family.

And Hamer-Webb is targeting a place in Wales' squad over the next few seasons.

“Wales is definitely on my radar right now,” he said. “But I’ve got to really earn it because it's a squad where you’ve got bona fide back three internationals. It is a big goal of mine. All I can focus on is training and playing well for Cardiff.”

Football roots have benefitted his rugby

The back-three speedster was once a football prodigy, and was picked up by Southampton's academy as a young boy, and was also associated with Bristol City.

Hamer-Webb has no regrets in choosing rugby over football, but rather thinks that his footballing experience has helped him get to this position within the sport.

He said: “Rugby wasn’t my main sport when I was growing up. I played football until I was around 15 or 16, and I was late getting into rugby. All my friends played rugby, and I went to Beechen Cliff, which is linked to Bath Rugby. I just loved playing it. I had to play catch-up in my early years as a rugby player because I was in and out of football academies.”