Elias will be off the leash at last
RYAN ELIAS admits there will be plenty of anger and frustration among his baggage when he gets to Dublin next week.
The Wales hooker has played just 180 minutes of rugby since the autumn due to Covid rules and lost fixtures.
Elias was part of the Scarlets squad trapped in South Africa in
November, then required to further isolate in Northern Ireland, before the virus then wiped out December’s fixtures.
It has meant the 27-year-old, who is filling the boots of injured Lion Ken Owens, has only played in three games in the last 10 weeks.
Now he will be expected to hit his line-out jumpers with his first throw against Ireland. “Coming off the back of my Wales campaign in the autumn, I really wanted to build on it, but it has hasn’t worked out like that,” says Elias.
“There’s a massive come down and anti-climax when games get called off after you’ve trained hard for it most of the week.
“As a hooker, you want to wind yourself up and be physical. If you aren’t there mentally as a forward, you aren’t going to do it at the end of the day.
“So, there’s been frustration without any release for that. Now I have to channel all that in a positive way.”
Elias has been in the shadow of Owens for years, but he showed in the 29-28 victory against
Australia in Wales’ last game – where he was a tryscorer – that this could finally be his moment.