Why Jenkins hasn’t played at higher level is unsolved mystery
YOU do not need to reside in 221B Baker Street in London, wear a deerstalker hat and smoke a pipe to sniff a bit of a mystery over Rowan Jenkins.
Why is this much-admired prop still operating at semi-professional level rather than in the regional game?
The thought came to mind again recently when the results came through from a panel of experts who had been asked to name their standout XVs in the Welsh Premiership this season.
Aberavon’s Jenkins was the only unanimous choice chosen by Phil Steele, Huw S Thomas, Howard Evans and Rob Cole.
He has long been a player who commands huge respect at secondtier level in Wales.
So what’s going on? Why hasn’t Jenkins made the breakthrough in higher-grade rugby? He signed a development deal with the Ospreys in 2016 but his appearances in their Liberty Stadium region’s senior team were sporadic.
He had a spell with Yorkshire Carnegie, only to return to Aberavon, for whom he has now completed 250 appearances.
“All I know is that Rowan is an outstanding player,” said Wizards coach Jason Hyatt. “In my eyes, he’s the most effective, powerful scrummager in the Welsh Premiership. “That’s his real strength. “Rowan is mobile, gets around the field, carries ball, leads and tackles. He’s an excellent all-round rugby player but his main strength is his scrummaging.
“He terrifies most scrums and we are fortunate to have him on board.
“The stats at the end of the season confirmed how dominant we’d been in the set-piece and especially the scrummage.”
It still doesn’t quite explain why Jenkins hasn’t gone further.
Hyatt admits: “It’s surprising why he isn’t playing at regional level.
“That said, I can’t comment on why he didn’t get more game-time at the Ospreys, because I’m not part of their set-up and I wasn’t when Rowan was there.
“All of us have different opinions, I guess.
“But, for me, it is puzzling as I saw him come on during a yellow card against Connacht in one game and he annihilated the opposition scrum.
“In other footage I saw of him playing for the Ospreys he was really good. Also, during that season when he played for Aberavon as his attached club, he was excellent. “In my eyes, he could do a job.” Jenkins’ USP is that he is much more than a sound scrummager.
He is also something of a buzz bomb around the field. “He’s what a modern-day prop should be about,” said Hyatt.
“He doesn’t walk around the pitch; he’s an athlete. He doesn’t struggle in the scrums; he pushes his weight and has good technique.
“A year or so ago I watched Rowan in the set-piece and then running in a try from 50 metres at the Arms Park. He gathered the ball at a lineout and ran in the score from the opposition 10-metre line, showing a great turn of pace.
“Knowing the type of character he is, I’d guess he’ll probably still want to get better. But he’s a strong player at this point.”
Is to too late for the 28-year-old to push through? “It’s never too late,” laughed Hyatt.
“Rowan is his prime as a prop. “We are too quick to write off players in Wales. When I played in Europe with Llanelli, a number of props in France were in their mid30s and still doing a job. So I don’t buy the idea that if you haven’t come through at 23 you can forget it.
“The Welsh Premiership isn’t just there to help develop youngsters. It’s also there to provide guys who mature later with a second chance, maybe.”