Back Jenkins to be in the starting XV come Japan

AS Warren Gatland’s boys prepare for their second Test with Argentina this week, a special word on back row co-captain Ellis Jenkins.

He looks like the natural leader Wales need to take them forward into the next generation, whoever ends up succeeding Warren as head coach.

Ellis is a former Wales U20 captain but for him to be made co-skipper alongside Cory Hill this summer at such a young age speaks volumes for him.

I was no leader during my career, but what I do know is Warren doesn’t hand out that role at the drop of a hat and he must have been impressed with Ellis for him to do so.

The last thing I want to do right now is heap too much pressure on Ellis. At the end of the day he has just seven Test matches to his name and is still at the start of his international career.

But the thing with Ellis is that if you asked me what it is exactly I like about him, I could go on for days! The first thing I would mention has absolutely nothing to do with rugby.

I don’t know Ellis that well personally, but he just seems a lovely, genuine bloke who is down to earth and wants the best for his teammates around him.

When I was on Twitter the other day I stumbled across his profile which reads: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice.” I thought that summed him up well.

In many ways Ellis reminds me of a young Sam Warburton, in thought, word and deed. I was still playing for Wales when Sam came on to the scene and I remember how impressed we all were with him both on and off the field.

We all know what a successful career he’s gone on to have.

Whether Ellis can go on to match that remains to be seen and as I say I don’t want to burden him with a level of expectation he can’t cope with or reach.

But the thing with him though is that I’m sure he wouldn’t be at all bothered by reading this. The similarities with Sam are almost uncanny – they even play the same position – and I wouldn’t bet against them packing down together in the same back row at next year’s World Cup.

That might seem like a big thing to say for someone who didn’t make the 23 for the first Test with Argentina, but I’m sure Ellis will be back for the second match with the Pumas on Saturday.

And if we’ve learned anything about him so far, you’d probably back him to have a stormer.