Six Nations Diaries With Dafydd Jenkins

Rhodri Evans
Sportin Wales caught up with Wales and Exeter Chiefs lock Dafydd Jenkins after the first week in camp to discuss roommates, Adam Jones, and his personal ambitions for the competition.
Hi Daf, how has the first few days in camp been?
It’s been really good. Obviously, this is my third Six Nations campaign, and the boys look as sharp as I’ve ever seen them. We’re all eager to get going now.
Adam Jones is now part of the coaching staff, taking particular interest in you boys in the scrum. How good has it been to have a legend in camp?
Bomb seems a top coach; we’ve had a couple of sessions with him now and it’s good to rub shoulders with someone who has won Grand Slams and was up there with the very best in his time.
Every time we played Quins, he’s made a point to come up to me after the game and say hello. You can see how passionate he is for Welsh rugby and that is infectious in camp.
With you being at Exeter and having club commitments, you have less time in camp than the other boys, how much do you personally value those first couple of days?
Personally, it’s been really good to be back with the boys. I was injured in the autumn and really missed it. I can’t lie, it was hard not to be involved.
Buzzing to get back, meet a few of the new boys. I’ve known Dan [Edwards] since I’ve been young so it’s awesome to see him get a shot. It’s also great have the experience of Toby [Faletau], Liam [Williams], and Jadzy [Josh Adams] back as well. That experience is huge for us.
How are you fitness wise?
Feeling really good at the moment. The surgery on my shoulder and knee was tough but I’ve had five or six matches on the bounce now with Exeter, so I feel good, and the match fitness is there.
This time last year, you had just been announced as captain for the 2024 Six Nations. How were the emotions when Gats told you?
It was such a privilege, at a young age, to be given the captaincy. It was an honour to lead the boys out during the Six Nations. Right now, I’m just focusing on my role in terms of supporting Jac [Morgan] as much as possible.
I think he’s an amazing captain and someone I’m really excited to play with and for again. I know how much extra responsibility Jac has, so I will try and help where I can.
Did you have a conversation with Gats about the captaincy and your role in the squad for this tournament?
No, not personally. I know Gats very well now and what he expects from me and what pressures I put on myself to be a leader even without the captaincy.
With a small amount of time together as a squad heading into the competition, what is the priority in these prep weeks?
With less time together, we’ve got a lot to cover in terms of getting everyone on the same page for our roles. It’s expected that even when we are away from camp to stay in peak international fitness.
Obviously, the level is higher than club, so it’s about being able to reach your peak of fitness and form all year round. Looking at our first game with France, they are going to look to keep the ball alive so fitness and work rate will be key for us.
You mentioned France there, how excited are you and the boys for a Friday night kick off in Paris to start the competition?
It’s the best way to start! Playing against France and testing ourselves against the very best in the world is something we all went to be doing.
Like I mentioned, France play an exciting brand of rugby, and we will be looking to spoil that a little bit and try and impose our game on them. We haven’t looked much past the France game at the moment, we are targeting that one with everything we have.
Wales have two away games, in France and Italy, in this first block of games, who do you share a room with when on tour?
I’m normally with Christ [Tshiunza]. We’ve known each other since we were 13 years old and are really good friends.
I’d say neither of us are very good roommate as we both snore, so it’s a bit of a race to get to sleep first!
With this being your third Six Nations, you are now a regular in the squad and a senior member of the pack, what have you learnt in your previous campaigns that you will take into this one?
I have learnt a lot about myself in terms of the expectations I set for myself. I don’t really you where that drive comes from, I think most players have it otherwise they wouldn’t be internationals.
It’s not something that should be shouted or raved about, it’s about putting everything into what you do, every time to take the field.
You mentioned you’ve played with Dan Edwards in junior rugby, how have the new boys looked in camp?
A lot of the Scarlets boys – Tommy Rogers, Blair Murray, Ellis Mee – who I haven’t played with before, look really sharp and dangerous with ball in hand. My game isn’t built for speed, so they make me look silly at times!
With Adam Beard out injured, at least for the start of the tournament, are you relishing the challenge of stepping up in his absence?
Adam is a top-quality set piece forward and we’ve seen our lineout with him and maul defence, he’s the best in my opinion. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting the chance to prove my quality in that area and making the difference for the team.
I know it’s still a little way off, but I could not finish without asking about England at the Principality on the final day. How much do the boys look forward those big matches?
The England-Wales rivalry will always be the pinnacle for the fans, so we have to match their passion in our rugby on the day. Beating England at a sold-out Principality is what its all about, so we will be more than ready for it when that one comes around.
If Sladey [Henry Slade] is on the opposite side, even better!
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