Aaron Wainwright was just 20 years old.
He’d been a professional rugby player a matter of months but already possessed the physical attributes Warren Gatland couldn’t ignore.
His athleticism was there for all to see. At Test level, he was a diamond in the rough and we were all about to discover whether he could withstand the rigours of the game at the top level.
In a concrete bowl on the outskirts of San Juan, Argentina on a chilly June afternoon, he made his bow, getting half an hour on at blindside flanker.
He was then involved in every Wales campaign between that moment and the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Gatland wanted to get as much rugby as possible into Wainwright without overcooking it.
By the time Wales got to Japan, Wainwright had displaced Ross Moriarty from the Wales back row and became a key player at the tournament.
So how is all this relevant to Christ Tshiunza? Valid question.
Well, there are striking similarities.
As we stand 18 months or so out from the Rugby World Cup, Tshiunza is 20 years of age.
He, like Wainwright, has very little professional rugby under his belt and the only real difference is that the 6ft 6” lock-cum-flanker has been exposed to the Test level a little earlier.
He already has two caps to his name and was on the field as Wales held out to win narrowly against Australia at a packed out Principality Stadium last autumn. Invaluable experience.
And the blueprint is there. Wainwright has already created it.
The ball is now in Pivac’s court to manage Tshiunza’s development because the, admittedly limited, early signs suggest that he has all the attributes to flourish in international rugby.
And the excitement in the Wales boss’ voice is palpable.
“At 19, throw in another 18 months on him, development in the gym, development in the club level of the game at Exeter where he’s in a good stable there, and opportunities in our camp then I think you are going to see a different player,” said Pivac.
“Clearly he’s going to evolve and get better and better as time goes by. We think he’s a player of the future that’s why we selected him in the autumn.
“We’ve selected him again because we want to further that development. Whether that’s on field playing or just in a camp environment learning; time will tell on how well he presents himself.”
It must be said that fortune favoured Wainwright. He dodged injuries when others didn’t.
And if the Exeter forward enjoys similar luck, expect the similarities in the two stories to continue. Wales have big plans for Tshiunza.
He will be in every squad between now and the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He may not play in every match, but watch his integration closely.
Pivac is desperate for a versatile lock-who-can-play-flanker to emerge and, right now, it’s clear who he’s backing.
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