It’s going all right for Wainwright as Dragons prospect gets Wales call
HE has only been playing rugby for three years, but Aaron Wainwright will complete a fairytale season when he flies out to Washington with Warren Gatland’s Wales squad at the end of the month.
The 20-year-old back-rower has been drafted in as an injury replacement for Wales’ player of the season Josh Navidi, who dislocated his shoulder in Cardiff Blues’ stunning Challenge Cup victory in Bilbao last weekend.
It has been a remarkable year for Wainwright, who was turning out for the students of Cardiff Met in the WRU Championship last season.
Before that he was playing youth rugby with his mates at Whiteheads RFC.
Even last month, Wainwright was tweeting about how much he was looking forward to a summer playing sevens with the Whitehead Stags.
Instead, he could be locking horns with Springboks and Pumas.
What’s his story?
WAINWRIGHT looked destined for a career in football having been on the books of Cardiff City and Newport County during his teenage years.
“I was with Cardiff City from Under-10s to Under-16s, then I got released and joined Newport County,” he said in an interview with the
earlier this season.
“I got offered a scholarship to stay on there, but didn’t want to move school and stayed at Bassaleg.
“I didn’t really have anything to do then and my mates were playing rugby on Saturdays at the local club, Whiteheads, so I joined them.”
Wainwright started studying sports science at Cardiff Metropolitan University, finishing his first year, but his emergence at the Dragons saw him offered a full-time professional contract this season.
How did he make his mark at the Dragons?
BACK-ROW injuries hit the Dragons hard in Bernard Jackman’s first term in charge, but the absence of Nic Cudd for the entire season and Ollie Griffiths, Harri Keddie, Lewis Evans and Robson Blake for large chunks of it, handed Wainwright his big chance at Rodney Parade.
He made his debut off the bench in the free-scoring derby defeat to Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park in October and went on to start in the European matches against Newcastle and Russian side Enisei-STM,
Wainwright continued to catch the eye as an athletic, dynamic carrier and tenacious defender, often in losing causes.
Standing at 6ft 3in and 16 stone, he delivered an outstanding display against the Ospreys during the festive season and at home to French side Bordeaux-Begles in the new year as the Dragons came close to quarterfinal qualification.
Operating at both blindside and openside, he made 25 appearances in his debut season – 16 in the Guinness PRO14, all six European ties and three matches in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
His reward with a first senior contract with the men of Gwent and the young player of the season award.
What has his coach had to say?
IT was only last month that Jackman suggested that Wainwright could be a bolter for this summer’s Tests against South Africa and Argentina.
“Aaron has had a hell of a season,” said the former Ireland hooker. “For a guy that didn’t make Wales Under-20s last year. he has been outstanding.
“I know that the Wales back row is incredibly competitive, but if they don’t take some of the senior guys then he is someone that certainly could step up.”
What are his chances of a first cap?
EVEN without Navidi, the rested Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau and the injured Dan Lydiate, Wales’ back-row resources are well stocked.
The likely breakaway trio to face the Boks in Washington on June 2 will be Aaron Shingler at blindside, Ross Moriarty at No.8 and either James Davies or co-captain Ellis Jenkins at openside.
Seb Davies, who packed down at No.8 against Georgia last autumn, is another option.
The Scarlets still have potentially two matches to come in the Guinness PRO14 and if the West Walians do make another Dublin final – which takes place a week before the Washington Test – it doesn’t give the likes of Shingler and Davies much time to recover.
Wainwright also offers versatility across the back-row, so could provide a useful bench option for Gatland.