‘Older and wiser’ Cuthbert added to Wales squad

WALES have added an ‘older and wiser’ Alex Cuthbert to their squad for the autumn internationals, just two games into his return to Welsh rugby.

The 31-year-old Ospreys wing (inset in action against Munster) hasn’t featured at Test level since the game with Georgia in Cardiff in 2017.

But he linked up with the Wales squad yesterday morning, widening Wayne Pivac’s options at a time when they have Liam Williams recovering from appendix surgery and Louis Rees-zammit unavailable for Saturday’s out-ofwindow clash with New Zealand.

So the call has gone out to Cuthbert.

The 48-cap Wales and Lions wide-man made his return to Welsh rugby against Benetton in Treviso a week last Saturday, embellishing it with a wonder tackle that saw him surge across field to cut down Monty Ioane in full flight and prevent what had appeared a certain try.

Cuthbert followed up his bright Ospreys debut with an especially industrious effort against Munster over the weekend, one that saw him demonstrate his heightened maturity as he helped Toby Booth’s team pull off a notable United Rugby Championship success over previously unbeaten opponents.

The former Cardiff player searched for work as he made 10 runs in a display that saw him collect a couple of high balls under pressure and work hard in defence.

After the game, a regional rugby source told this writer: “Alex is shaping up to be a great signing for the Ospreys.

“He’s popular with the boys and is as relaxed as they come. His time over the border seems to have worked wonders. After three years away, he’s older and wiser and has shown he can still deliver.” Now he’s back in the Wales set-up. He left in 2018 for Exeter Chiefs after being the victim of social media abuse, with some assuming the switch to the Gallagher Premiership spelled the end of his Wales career. He later revealed he’d become more thick-skinned and better able to deal with online criticism.

Less than a fortnight ago, he told how he felt he was a better and more rounded player and person than the one who’d left for Devon three years earlier.

And there was also a hint that he still had unfinished business at Test level, with Cuthbert saying: “I’d love to play for Wales again. But with the injury record I have over the past three years I’m going to take it game by game.”

His efforts since then have evidently been enough to convince Wayne Pivac he can still offer the squad something.