Lake adds depth for Wales... and he could be a starter

BY the time we next see Ken Owens pull on a Wales jersey, it will be at least 596 days since his last appearance for his country.

It might well be a even bigger number, depending on when he’s back from injury and, just as pertinently, how the current crop of hookers go in his continued absence.

So far, Ryan Elias has proved a more than capable deputy to the Sheriff. There have been rough moments, accompanied by disproportionate criticism, but the Scarlets man has grown into Test rugby.

The 27-year-old has started eight of the last nine Welsh fixtures, gradually showing his worth as a strong presence around the park as the lineout issues, not entirely his fault it should be stressed, have been ironed out. Based on his Test performances in the last year, few would be surprised, or have many arguments, about Elias being the starting hooker out in South Africa.

However, there are a couple of sticking points. First, Elias finished the season sidelined with an Achilles issue, raising doubts over his fitness for the tour. Pictures of him in training suggests he’s fine on that front, but we’ll see.

The second, though, is the form of the man nipping at his heels. Eight out of the last nine starts have gone to Elias, but the very last one went to Dewi Lake.

Granted, few players want their first starts to be associated with a first home defeat to Italy. It’s a little like starting work as a security guard at the Watergate Hotel on June 17, 1972.

But Lake’s form off the bench warranted that start. Having had to bide his time since first being called up as a 20-year-old back in 2020, Lake finally made his debut against Ireland at the start of this year’s Six Nations.

As Wales spluttered through the campaign, the cameo appearances from the young Ospreys hooker were a shot in the arm for frustrated Welsh supporters. Regardless of the results, Lake provided eye-catching moments with explosive carrying that saw him eat up metres at will.

Given Wales’ dearth of truly devastating ball-carriers, having a man so difficult to stop is a temptation almost impossible to resist. As cruel as it would be for Elias to drop to the bench after enduring the slings and arrows that come with playing for Wales, Lake could well be moving into pole position for the number two jersey.

Particularly given the improvement of his lineout work. As a converted back-rower, the nuts and bolts of the hooking position will always be an area of work-ons for

Lake, but he’s getting there.

“We’ve put some specialist coaching in place with him in the shape of Simon Hardy, who has worked with England, Australia, Scotland and various Premiership clubs,” said Ospreys head coach Toby Booth earlier this year.

“I’ve worked with Simon before. He’s a friend of mine and a wellrecognised coach. We’ve brought him in not just for Dewi but for all our hookers to work on their throwing techniques.

“An independent coach often acts as a psychologist for a player, especially in the position Dewi plays, which is like a goalkicker, with no hiding.

“The ball has to be thrown in under great competition. So I think having that support around him has definitely paid dividends, while he also has 12 months more of experience as part of a programme that pushes standards hard around the line-out and scrums, where there’s no substitute for getting down and getting dirty.

“Those things put together have helped him improve, but, ultimately, it’s his attitude and desire to want to do it, to be the very best and force his way into the reckoning for Wales and be the number one hooker at the Ospreys -- ultimately, that’s what is driving the whole thing forward.”

The end of the URC season saw Lake hammer home his credentials with a strong outing against Elias and the Scarlets doing his selection chances no harm. Add in the fact that the Ospreys’ lineout functioned perfectly that day and Lake came away with a sizeable tick in several boxes.

Against the physicality of the Springboks, the destructive Lake could be just the man to take the fight to Jacques Nienaber’s world champions. Quite simply, it’s a shoot-out between him and Elias for the job.

The third-choice hooker role has moved around quite a bit. Sam Parry is back in the squad now, with Bradley Roberts having fallen away to join Elliot Dee and Kirby Myhill on the fringes.

But the battle in South Africa seems destined to be between Lake and Elias. Given the season he’s had, Elias will be feeling he’s got no reason to lose possession of the jersey just yet.

But, despite being so early into his Test career, this could well be the tour that Lake forces his way into the starting XV. From there, whenever Owens does return, he could have a fight on his hands to get that jersey back.