Handling skills can give me advantage says Seb

CARDIFF Blues lock Seb Davies hopes his unique playing style can give him an edge over his Wales rivals.

While most young second rows would cite a forward as their rugby idol, Davies, below, picks All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams as the player he tried to model his game on.

Davies, 21, played a large chunk of his age grade rugby in the back three and it is this background which the Blues starlet hopes will serve as his point of difference.

“I’ve always had good skills, but I think the fact I used to play in the backs has definitely helped,” he said. “It could give me an advantage moving forward.

“The main job for a second row is still in the rucks, line-outs and mauls, but hopefully I can get into the wide channels and use my skills as well. The All Blacks are the best side because they’ve got skills across the board and that’s the way rugby is going.”

It has been a surreal few months for Davies who was plucked from virtual obscurity to win his first Wales caps against Tonga and Samoa last summer.

After being named in Warren Gatland’s squad for Wales’ autumn Tests, Davies has a very real chance of running out against Australia in Cardiff on November 11.

“It’s been quite strange what with the call up in the summer with Wales, having a good run of games at the Blues, signing a new contract and then getting selected for the autumn squad,” he said.

“I don’t know many of the experienced Wales boys, but it should be good. There’s a lot I can learn off them as they’ve been around for a long time. For me it will be a chance to learn a bit more. Sometimes you only get one chance and you’ve just got to take it and I think I’m doing that at the moment.”