Prop Javan comes of age with Scarlets
IT HAS taken Javan Sebastian a bit of time to start fulfilling his true potential, but the fact he was picked to start for the first time in the Champions Cup on Friday night proved he is getting there.
He was denied his big moment against Toulon when the French side pulled out of the game due to Covid a few hours before kick-off.
But the 26-year-old tighthead powerhouse knows his time will come again and intends to repay the faith shown in him by the coaching team at Parc y Scarlets.
One coach who knows him well is forwards guru Richard Kelly, who had him under his wing at Carmarthen Quins in the Welsh Premiership for two years and helped steer him back to the professional ranks.
When Samson Lee got injured midway through the first-half of the opening round clash in Bath last weekend neither Kelly nor his scrum doctor accomplice, Ben Franks, had any worries about sending on Sebastian.
Lee’s continued absence on Friday night, along with that of ex-Springbok Werner Kruger, meant Sebastian was due to get his first chance to start in Europe’s top tournament.
Kelly, below, is convinced there is much more to come from him. He said: “Javan always had the potential to become a full-time professional player and that’s what he’s always wanted to be. Most importantly, coming from Carmarthen he always wanted to play for the Scarlets.
“He has earned the respect of the players through the way he has trained and performed and we have full faith in him. He’s in a great environment and we think he can only get better.”
It would have been easy for Sebastian to have given up the ghost and settled for life as a big fish in the small pond of the Welsh Premiership.
Having been capped by Wales at U16 and U18 level, he entered the Scarlets Academy in 2014. Three of that year’s intake – Josh Adams, Ryan Elias and Kieran Hardy – have gone on to win full Wales caps. Josh Macleod made the squad for the Autumn Nations Cup and Josh Helps, Tom Phillips, Declan Smith and Ioan Nicholls have all graduated into the Scarlets 1st XV.
Like Adams, Sebastian was let go before earning a full contract and began playing for home town team Carmarthen Quins. Then he got the chance to play for Glasgow – his father is Scottish and so he has a dual quali
fication – and he spent a season at Scotstoun.
He didn’t pull up any trees north of the border and made a hasty return to Quins, where he began to use his 18st 6lbs (118kg) frame to terrorise opposition front rows.
“It didn’t work out for him in Glasgow and when he returned to the Quins it was a case of getting him back on track to fulfilling his potential,” added Kelly.
“He is naturally very strong, has all the attributes to become a firstrate tighthead and for three seasons he was the best prop in the Premiership.
“His return to Carmarthen coincided with me taking over as coach there and being involved in the Academy at the Scarlets. He earned another shot at a professional contract and he has taken it.
“Ben Franks, Samson and Werner have all helped him to develop and now he is where he has always wanted to be – playing for the Scarlets.”