The one thing people should know about Dane Blacker is that he likes a challenge.
Why else would he have headed across to the Scarlets at the age of 21 to compete with Kieran Hardy, Gareth Davies and Jonathan Evans for the No. 9 shirt?
Maybe the other thing to know about the Wales squad call-up is that he’s prepared to show patience and perseverance. With internationals Hardy and Davies also vying for games in Llanelli — Evans left the region in 2020 — Blacker has had to play a waiting game, but toys have never left the pushchair or remotely looked like doing so.
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The youngster has never allowed his head to drop. When he turns up for training, he always remembers to pack enthusiasm in his kitbag, thinking about the needs of the group rather than himself. Coaches tend to enjoy stuff like that. Character is important.
“He’s had to bide his time,” acknowledged Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel.
“Having two international No. 9s ahead of him has not always been great for him in terms of frustration, but in terms of biding his time and commitment to the group, he’s been fantastic.”
Maybe that explains Blacker’s popularity at the Scarlets. When his inclusion in the Wales set-up was announced this week, his colleagues out west were to a man said to be “chuffed” for him — disappointed for Davies, whose place he took in the squad, but undeniably pleased for the non-stopped tryer who had won his first national squad call-up.
For nothing in rugby has ever been dished up on a plate for Blacker.
All he has achieved he has had to work for.
He came through the junior ranks at Pontypridd RFC and had time in Cardiff’s academy and a loan spell with the Dragons before making the move west in 2019 in a switch he knew he had to make work. He had played for Wales U20s and shown potential, but it was taking time for his ability to shine through at senior level.
But it has happened for him in Llanelli. You can read more about him here.
In the 2020-21 season he started more league games than any of his scrum-half rivals at the Scarlets and performed strongly throughout the year. Indeed, after the campaign finished, one London-based newspaper touted him as a potential selection for the 2025 Lions tour, saying of him that at the Scarlets “the former Wales Sevens star has started to raise his hand as a potential international star”.
Blacker won’t be thinking of the Lions tour just yet — of course he won’t. So far this season, h is yet to be picked in the Scarlets starting XV. One step at a time will be his mantra. Hailing from Ynysybwl, the home village of former Wales hooker Garin Jenkins, he is too grounded to get ahead of himself.
But the work ethic he’s shown since moving across the M4 from Cardiff to the Scarlets will continue to stand him in good stead. “I think it’s testament to him that he's put his head down and worked hard,” said Peel of Blacker’s time on the western side of the Loughor Bridge.
“It's an opportunity, but with opportunity you have to deliver as well. That's what he's done: he's worked hard. It's been frustrating for him because some of the times he's been playing well and hasn't had the nod. We have two senior players ahead of him and that's been frustrating for him, I’m sure of it, but he's worked hard and kept going. Every time he's taken the field for us, he's been very, very good.
“He can play a high-tempo game and has worked on his kicking game.
“He reminds me of a French No. 9, a good footballer who's busy around rucks, being able to move the ball quickly.
“I'm delighted for him and a big fan. The ability to see gaps and see space, he's right up there and hopefully he gets his chance now for everyone to see what he can do. The times he's played for us, he's been excellent in terms of raising tempo, finding space and as a support threat, he's scored a lot of tries on shoulders.”
Peel’s stamp is clearly on him, with the former Wales scrum-half having spent time helping to develop him, working with him on an individual basis. “I do, yeah,” said Peel. “You could put him on a sevens pitch and he'd look fantastic. He's that type of player who can see things and make things happen around him. He's got a good voice as well, a good understanding of the game.” You can read more about Peel's thinking on the scrum-half battle in Llanelli here.
What to say?
There isn’t a lot separating Hardy, Blacker and Davies.
All are lightning quick, all like to play the game with tempo, all are alert and keep defences honest.
As an aside, the Scarlets have two more youngsters in the scrum-half pipeline in Archie Hughes and Harri Williams. No need to dwell too much on the succession planning at nine when the region’s rugby management next get together, then. Matters appear to be sewn up on that front for years to come.
But let’s return to Blacker.
Not since the summer of 2021 had Pivac started a campaign with a scrum-half other than Gareth Davies, Tomos Williams and Kieran Hardy in his squad.
Blacker has now changed that picture.
Pivac has doubtless picked him in his autumn squad as he seeks to build depth leading up to next year’s World Cup. The coach will want to have a close look at the Scarlet and see how he shapes up in a Test environment. He’ll want to assess whether he’s a player he’d be able to rely on should the need arise.
The former Ospreys head coach and now TV pundit Sean Holley is looking forward to seeing how Blacker fares at the higher level, saying: “When he’s come off the bench, in particular, for the Scarlets he’s been pretty good and made an impact.
“He’s lively, quick off the mark and runs good support lines.
“His nuts and bolts are pretty good, his passing and box kicking. His eye for a gap and support play and pace off the mark are probably the things that stand out, so he is a threat around the base.
“My only concern is minutes played, not just this season but over the past couple of seasons.
“Only after seeing him perform over a run of games can you form a one hundred percent opinion.
“But there are clearly good qualities there.
“He might be in the mould of what Wayne is looking for. He’s looking for some young talent to come through for the World Cup. This is about having a closer look at him. If ever you were going to do it, now’s the time.”
There is a clip online of Blacker in action in the 2019 World Cup Sevens, showing him chasing Fiji’s Alosio Naduva, who is known for being able to motor.
At one point over the course of a 90-metre dash, Blacker himself touches 34km per hour, actually travelling quicker than Naduva. Had the islander not veered away, the Welsh youngster might have caught him.
A snapshot of just one quality he offers, then.
His call-up is a nod for the patience he has shown.
It’s now up to him to make the most of it.
Fingers crossed on that front.
Huge effort always deserves to be rewarded.
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