Outsider Anscombe wins over the Welsh

WHEN Gareth Anscombe slalomed through the Lyon defence last weekend to score a stunning, long-range try, it ignited Cardiff Blues’ European campaign and accelerated his surge towards acceptance. He can feel it is coming and it matters to him. Identity matters, too. The 27-year-old has had to endure a long, uncomfortable phase of being perceived as the Kiwi who wears a Wales shirt. Now, he is sensing the warm embrace of public support. It is almost four years since the playmaker who represented New Zealand Under 20s made his move from Waikato to the Welsh capital, following an invitation from national coach Warren Gatland. He arrived to an uncomfortable reception committee — instant pressure and awkward questions about allegiance. Since then, there have been 18 Tests and eight starts for the land of his mother while he adapted to a new environment and rugby culture. But it now feels as if Anscombe (left) is winning his battles. He sealed the Blues’ dramatic Challenge Cup final triumph in May and has made a storming start to this season, capped by that glory run in Lyon. His name dominates the perennial debate in Wales about the fabled red No 10 shirt. Whether he is picked at fly-half or full-back, Anscombe is destined to represent the Welsh people next month but it is important to him that they see him as one of their own. ‘My mum is from Cardiff,’ he said. ‘She still has a Welsh accent. And my grandparents were both born and bred in Wales. I know there are always arguments about time service and I was crucified for that when I first came over here. ‘It was frustrating to deal with, because it’s not like we had to find some great, great grand-parent. I’ve got a lot of second cousins living in Wales. ‘I used to have a jersey that was half red for Wales and half black for New Zealand. ‘I’ve made a real effort. When Hadleigh Parkes (the Scarlets’ Kiwi centre) made his debut for Wales, he sang the anthem. We made efforts to learn it and I feel that shows we are connected to the place. It’s not an easy anthem to learn! ‘I’ve been here almost four years now and hopefully people are starting to think of me as Welsh. ‘The good thing in Wales is that people are passionate about rugby, but on the other side, everyone has an opinion. Part of maturing has been learning to deal with that stuff. ‘You’re not going to please everyone. For some reason, my name riled up a lot of people in Wales. I feel a lot more at ease now. And hopefully, slowly, I have changed the public’s perception of me. ‘It feels as though people are accepting me more.’