Coach hails ‘incredible’ Sarries star

SARACENS’ boss Mark McCall has hailed Aled Davies’ impact on the club following his “courageous” move from Welsh rugby.

Former Scarlets and Ospreys scrum-half Davies made the last of his 20 Wales appearances against 2019 World Cup opponents Uruguay in Japan.

Because he does not meet Wales’ minimum 60-cap selection eligibility rule for exiled players, Davies knew his Test career would come to a halt.

Yet the 29-year-old has proved a key part of Saracens’ Gallagher Premiership title push and their European Challenge Cup campaign, which has teed up a semifinal against Toulon today.

Davies’ first season at Saracens saw him playing in the Championship following the club’s relegation for repeated salary cap breaches.

They are now back at the domestic and European top table, though, and challenging strongly for honours on both fronts.

Rugby director McCall said: “Aled was a player we had spotted who we thought had all the capabilities we wanted in that scrumhalf position.

“It was a very brave move from Aled to come here, because effectively having been capped by Wales very early in his career he was saying goodbye to international rugby while he was here.

“He felt he needed a fresh start. He had moved from the Scarlets to the Ospreys and things weren’t quite working out the way he had hoped.

“Then we are in the Championship all of a sudden but Aled was prepared to embed himself in the club, which he has done.

“Sometimes it takes time in a pivotal position to be the player we knew he was going to be but he has been incredible this year.”