Rhys Carre says he will look to do his talking out on the pitch as he responds to his controversial omission from Wales’ autumn squad.
The Cardiff prop was surprisingly left out by head coach Wayne Pivac despite arguably having been in the form of his career this year.
Explaining his decision, Pivac said the 17-cap loosehead had fallen short of conditioning requirements, but the player’s regional boss, Dai Young, delivered a differing interpretation, saying it was a weight target he had failed to hit.
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Carre’s exclusion has perplexed pundits and public alike, given he possesses the ball carrying power that Wales have looked badly short of at times this autumn. His Cardiff captain Josh Turnbull is among those confused and disappointed by the non-selection, especially given Wales are not that well stocked with such big men.
As for the 6ft 3ins, 20st 4lbs Carre himself, he is focusing on forthcoming URC games against the Sharks and Bulls out in South Africa and looking continue the form that has earned him plaudits.
“Obviously any positivity surrounding your name is nice to hear. I would have liked to be involved (with Wales), but unfortunately it is what it is,” said the 24-year-old.
“It’s out of my hands. I think it’s just a bump in the road. I am not viewing it as such a negative, as more of a positive for Cardiff. The longer I can stay here, the more benefit I can give to the team.
“I am happy the way I am playing at the moment. For me, consistency is key. Starting a few games and playing week-in, week-out for Cardiff this season has helped me massively and put me in a good place. I’m a lot more confident now and I’m getting more comfortable out on the pitch.
“All I can really do is play well week-in, week-out and put my best foot forward. Everyone’s talking is on the pitch. I’ve just got to focus on what I am doing out there.
“I am one of those characters who just likes to keep their head down, don’t really say much and do my talking on the pitch, if I can.
“Obviously there is stuff I need to work on, but the same could be said for everyone else. For me, it’s a case of making everyone here happy to begin with and if everyone is happy here then I can look up towards Wales.”
Carre’s captain, Turnbull, doesn’t pull any punches when giving his thoughts on the treatment of the young prop on the international front.
“What comes out of the Wales camp is a bit disappointing from our end. Rhys has showed this year, he has played 80 minutes, he has played 70, he has played 60. He is durable,” said the back-five forward.
“He has been on top of his game and he’s doing what we are asking him to do. His set-piece is strong, his work-rate around the park is strong. He carries the ball really effectively and he puts his hits in.
“If Rhys was French or South African, he would probably be in the starting team because he’s as big as he is. Uini Atonio is 145 kilos and France ask him to do his job which is scrum, hit rucks and mauls and when he gets the ball to carry hard.
“As a country, we are not blessed with big men, so go and utilise them if we’ve got them. Looking at the performance last week against Georgia, the second half especially when the scrum was under pressure, would Rhys have been a better option? Probably.
“I was 100 per cent surprised at his omission from the autumn squad, especially the way he has been playing. When you see someone like him, who is effective at what he does being left out, sometimes you question who is making those decisions.
“Ok, he is a big lad, but he is using it to his advantage on the field."
Carre feels he has come on a long way since he made his Test debut back in the summer of 2019, at which point he had made just a handful of appearances at regional level.
“Going to a World Cup at 21, it happened pretty fast for me. I was just new to senior rugby, let alone international rugby. So the last three years have been a steady learning period for me. I have had my ups and downs, playing not playing, starting, being on the bench, not being picked. I have done full circle really," he said.
“It’s really helped me progress my game and given me a lot of confidence knowing I’ve pretty much faced everything that can be thrown at me.
“I have got more belief in myself. I know now I can go out there and put a performance in, whereas before it was probably luck of the draw. Some games I would play really well, some games I wouldn’t do anything. I feel I have become a lot more consistent.”
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Looking to the challenge ahead in South Africa, he said: “It’s a massive opportunity for us. Our first block has put us in a really good place. We are top of the Welsh Shield which was our aim at the beginning of the season, so we are where we want to be.
“There is no game we play that we think we can’t win. We showed that against the Stormers. We have the confidence in the group to go out on the pitch and put a performance in and we know we can beat any team in the league.”
On Sunday’s first fixture in Durban, Carre added: “The Sharks haven’t lost at home for five games in a row. They bring a lot of physicality. We have to front up physically and impose our game on them.”
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