Just as not every schoolboy who’s ever jumped on a bicycle thinks he’s one day going to win the Tour de France, so Ryan Elias didn’t exactly feel certain he was going to complete 150 appearances for the Scarlets.
“Growing up I didn’t think I would make even one appearance,” he said ahead of their game with the Cheetahs at Stadio Lanfranchi in Italy on Saturday.
“I was in and out with the Scarlets U16s and U18s, didn’t really play and wasn’t really picked. Looking back, I think that was good because it made me the player and the professional I am, where I’ve always been hungry and I’ve always worked hard, because I know nothing’s given to you in the game.
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“I saw all my mates getting chosen and I was gutted. You have that feeling of hurt and I guess I didn’t want it again. So I’ve kept my head down and worked hard.
“Now I’m sat here with 150 and looking forward to the future. Hopefully, there’s another 150 there. It’s exciting and I’m hugely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had along the way.
“I didn’t realise it was coming up until my old man checked the website. One thing I can say is that I’m hugely proud.”
Nodding to his competition with hooking rival Ken Owens, he jokes: “I think 140 of the appearances are probably off the bench.
“Nonetheless, my mindset has always been that whether you’re starting, coming on for a half or for 20, 10 or five minutes, you’ve a job to do.
“Early doors you see yourself as the pup, the young one in the group, and you try to do as much learning as you can. It creeps up on you fast then one day you look around the changing room and realise: ‘Hold on, I’m one of the most experienced players here.’
“I’m not old in rugby terms, but you take stock, reflect and realise that you need to start stepping up. Hopefully, I’ve been doing that. You have to try to mentor and bring on younger guys and help them along the way as I was helped in the early part of my career.”
Elias has achieved a lot since making his Scarlets debut in 2013, with his Wales cap haul now standing at 33. But what has been his number one memory with the west Wales region?
Without hesitation, he responds: “The win against Munster in 2017 to win the Pro 12 title. Ken was injured, so I started in the semis and the final. The last-four game with Leinster over there was unbelievable after we went down to 14 men with a red card, but the following week we backed it up against Munster. Everything just clicked. I was a young lad of 22 and I’d come in, we’d won the league and I thought: ‘This rugby business is really easy.’ It hasn’t been quite so easy since, but we’ll get back there, I’m sure.”
Early in his Test career, Elias attracted criticism over the accuracy of his darts, but no-one has ever questioned his application on a rugby field. He responded to the flak with huge character and commitment, qualities that have become his trademark. Playing for Wales against Scotland last year, there seemed to be three Ryan Eliases on the pitch, all of them going the extra mile for the team.
Invited to talk about him, Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: “To start with, I like him as a person. He’s a leader who has a competitive edge and he loves playing for the Scarlets.
“Before this autumn, when he had a few injuries, he’d started 11 out of the previous 12 Tests. I see him as a future leader of the club.
“The reality is that needs to happen for him as well, because he’s not 21 or 22. He’s spent a long time with Ken in this club and both have been great but what I would say is that he leads well, he speaks well in meetings and he’s well-respected."
Having Owens to compete with has never been a negative in Elias’ eyes, with the pair mates off the pitch. “It’s been there my whole career,” he says of the competition, chronicling how he battled his way through the ranks, from fourth-choice, to third, to second.
“Slowly you do that. Then the only one in front of me was Ken. It seems like it’s been like that for a long while,” he says.
“But it’s been great. I’ve always pushed myself really hard because I want the No. 2 jersey as well, but it’s always been friendly competition between me and Ken - same school, same rugby club. We are good mates. It’s definitely pushed me to this point today.”
Elias acknowledges the number of hookers around Wales, including Dewi Lake, Scott Baldwin and Sam Parry at the Ospreys, Elliot Dee and Bradley Roberts at the Dragons, Kristian Dacey and Liam Belcher at Cardiff — who also have an immensely promising young No. 2 coming through in Efan Daniel — and a strong back-up crew behind him and Owens at the Scarlets
Will Warren Gatland start with a completely clean selection slate in his second stint as Wales head coach? Hard to say. He’ll know a lot about certain players from his first shift at the helm, but the assumption is that form will count the most for him.
“He’s been here before and will know a lot of the lads,” says Elias. “For me personally, I just want to be playing, to be able to put my best foot forward with regards to selection because you don’t know what he’s thinking. But you can only control the controllables. Go out there, do your bit, work as hard as you can; hopefully, the rest will take care of itself.”
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