Lloyd’s the man for Wales at 10 - Madigan

BRISTOL playmaker Ioan Lloyd has been tipped as a future successor to Dan Biggar as Welsh rugby’s main man at No.10.

The 21-year-old is learning his trade in the Premiership and has been described by one of his former teammates as “one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen”.

That is the view of former Ireland outside-half, and current Ulster No. 10, Ian Madigan, who played at Ashton Gate as Lloyd was coming through the ranks.

Lloyd, below, has already won two senior Welsh caps, but didn’t make any of Wayne Pivac’s three Welsh squads this year. He and Bristol teammate Callum Sheedy are two of the younger Welsh players who will be vying to replace Biggar and Gareth Anscombe after the 2023 World Cup.

“Ioan is one of the most talented guys I have trained and played with,” said Madigan, who won 31 caps for Ireland and is a two-time Heineken Champions and URC winner with Leinster. “From a skill point of view, he is up with the very best, with passing and kicking with both feet. He has electric acceleration. “He has so many skills he sometimes doesn’t know which ones to use at which time. He’s going to have a phenomenal career. “Would I say he is definitely an outside-half or full-back? I’m not sure. He can only really find out if he gets an extended run of games at 10 because that’s when your instincts get better. You get a better feel for the game and a better understanding of what the players around you need. Playing full-back will only help him figure that out and help him realise what an outside-half needs.”

Cardiff-born Lloyd can play across the backline, having played for his country at full-back and featured at 10, 12, 14 and 15 for his club.

Madigan, who enjoyed a three-year spell in the West Country before returning to Ireland, remembers being impressed with Lloyd at his first training session.

“Ioan came in and just backed himself. It’s only happened a handful of times in my career when you see a player in the first training session and you think ‘Wow’ this guy has got something special,” said Madigan.

“Luke Fitzgerald was one of those, Ioan was another and so was Bradley Roberts, the Welsh hooker, when he came on in a trial for Ulster after playing for a local club. He really had something about him.”