From boozy bus trips to the brink of glory

Hero Wainwright was a student star only two years ago

FOR a young man who only made his professional rugby debut in 2017, Aaron Wainwright is remarkably relaxed about the prospect of playing in a World Cup semi-final. Two years ago, he was running out for Cardiff Metropolitan University on boggy pitches around west Wales and enjoying boozy bus trips afterwards. Today, the stakes are significantly higher.

Wainwright (below) was man of the match against France in the quarter-final and now he hopes to go one better — by becoming a member of the first Welsh team ever to reach the World Cup final.

In a campaign that has been hit by injuries — as well as the Rob Howley betting scandal — his is very much a feelgood story.

Wales have enjoyed a 12- year rollercoaster ride under Warren Gatland and Wainwright has been one of the last to jump on board.

‘Things have worked out pretty well,’ said the bespectacled flanker, who has been pulling off his best Clark Kent impression in Japan.

Before university, Wainwright spent six years as a defensive midfielder in the Cardiff City FC academy — comparing his style to Roy Keane. His rugby journey only turned serious when, minutes before a university assessment, he received a call asking him to play for the Dragons.

‘Bernard Jackman [then Dragons coach] said I was going to be on the bench for the Dragons,’ said Wainwright. ‘That was a massive step for me going from university rugby to professional rugby.

‘At uni, we’d train normally two nights a week and then do a team run between lectures.

‘It was Championship on a Saturday and then BUCS [British University and Colleges Sport] super rugby was on a Wednesday, so the away days on a Saturday you weren’t as excited because you were being beaten up by big men. Glynneath, Narberth, Llanharan; those sorts of places are ones you don’t want to go to. Up to your knees in mud.

‘ They wanted me to bulk up a little bit so I was eating loads. I went from 84kg [13st 2lb] to 104kg [16st 5lb] in a year and a half! I’m still very friendly with a lot of the boys and they can’ t believe how far I’ve come. A lot of them have wanted to come over but obviously student loans have been an issue!’

Within 12 months of making his professional de but, Wainwright received a call-up from Gatland for the 2018 tour of Argentina.

Not for the first time, Gatland’s show of faith in an unfancied youngster paid off. Winger Josh Adams is a similar case — now sitting at the top of the World Cup tryscoring charts. Classic Gatland, squeezing every last drop out of a country with a limited playing pool.

Wainwright’s style has earned rave comparisons with Sam Warburton: quick, tough, durable and good over the ball. Injuries to Toby Faletau and Josh Navidi have made the 22-year-old an indispensable asset and, while they appear weaker on paper, they will back their iron will to match up with the Springbok pack.

Wales must be accurate to prevent the game from boiling down to a set-piece battle but his side have developed a mental resilience to pull off the unexpected.

It helps, too, that Wainwright has never lost a tournament game in a Welsh jersey.