Tompkins makes an instant impact for new country in dazzling display
Centre is a must to face Ireland after proving his class, writes Ben Coles at the Principality Stadium
His first-half cameo only lasted 11 minutes, but the 68,000 crowd inside the Principality Stadium saw enough of Nick Tompkins in that time to realise that he is the real deal.
Called into action 10 minutes into the first half, with the other Wales player making his Test debut, Johnny McNicholl, temporarily injured and off the field, Tompkins’s turnover penalty at the breakdown was quickly followed by a majestic pass to Leigh Halfpenny, leading to Josh Adams’s first try. Wayne Pivac spoke last week about Wales needing to improve their skill-sets in attack and the quality of Tompkins’s pass is exactly what he is looking for.
What followed in the second half, though, was sensational, a sparkling solo try, with the former England Under-20 centre stepping, speeding and fending his way past Matteo Minozzi. The celebration that followed, fingers pointing to the sky, was for his grandmother, born in Wrexham. “She’s the reason I’m here,” he said. “That was unbelievable. I just wanted to get on and do well, you don’t expect stuff like that to happen.”
Even if this comic-strip Test debut came against an atrocious Italian defence, Wales would be mad to leave Tompkins out against Ireland next week, with the Saracens back admitting his early first-half appearance helped him to settle.
“You watch it and I’m flying around, but I’m missing tackles and I’m just enjoying it. I calmed down, sat on the bench and said, ‘OK, that’s the level, you’re OK, you can do it.’ It was a blessing in disguise.”
Tompkins returned permanently, replacing Hadleigh Parkes at inside centre, but a midfield combination of Parkes and Tompkins would have the right balance of power, defence and flair, and now must be used in Dublin.
Wales were far from perfect, needing 76 minutes to secure the try bonus point. Their scrum, a cause for concern at times last year, remains a bit of a mess, with Wyn Jones and Dillon Lewis leaking penalties. But if Wales can create a solid platform and improve their ability with ball in hand, they already have one of the most potent finishers in the world out wide in Adams. No player has scored more international tries since the start of 2019, with Adams having now crossed 10 times in his past eight Tests.
“I liked his last try,” Pivac said. “He could have easily just parked up out on his wing but, after more than 80 minutes, he’s in close to the ruck looking for the ball and using his strength to get over the try line.”
Yet on a day where Adams continued his remarkable run of try-scoring, and Dan Biggar decided to channel his inner Carlos Spencer with that audacious through-the-legs pass for Adams’s first try, it was Tompkins who was the talk of the town.
“I was anxious coming into a new squad with new guys and everything like that but the coaches have been brilliant, the players have been brilliant,” Tompkins added.
One person who might not have enjoyed his performance, watching from Paris, might have been England head coach Eddie Jones, wondering if not capping Tompkins was a mistake.
This, of course, was only one game, and against dire opposition, but Tompkins could hardly have done more to impress. As Pivac noted afterwards: “A lot of people now know who Nick Tompkins is.”