Wales star Josh Hathaway opens up on his first Six Nations, enjoying together with his childhood hero Liam Williams, and simply how far ‘particular’ Gloucester can go this season

Josh Hathaway performed for each England and Wales within the Beneath-20 Six Nations. However as he prepares for his first senior Championship, there isn’t a doubt the place his allegiances lie.

‘It was at all times going to be Wales,’ the 21-year-old wing, who’s a part of a revived Gloucester aspect within the Gallagher Premiership this season, tells Mail Sport. 

‘Rising up in just a little city like Aberystwyth, to be sincere I didn’t actually perceive there was another nation! I lived in the midst of nowhere actually.

‘Buying centres have been an hour away on the prepare. I had a stint enjoying for England Beneath-20’s and it massively helped me in my profession.

‘I’ll at all times be very grateful to England and Alan Dickens, who was my head coach, for that.

‘I’ll by no means say I want I hadn’t performed it. It’s been part of my journey, however I’m equally grateful to Warren Gatland and Rob Howley for calling me in with Wales. I can’t thank them sufficient.’

Final Could, after having fun with his breakthrough season with Gloucester, Hathaway’s full worldwide future was unclear. However Wales head coach Gatland moved shortly and gave him a Check debut towards Australia in July. A second cap adopted in November towards back-to-back world champions South Africa. Hathaway is studying on the job.

However his expertise is clear. He’s impressing with Gloucester, who’re fifth within the Premiership this time period forward of Saturday’s conflict with fourth-placed Leicester at Kingsholm.

Hathaway was almost misplaced to Wales after shifting from the Scarlets to Gloucester as a result of he was finding out at Hartpury School.

He’ll look to proceed his development by successful a 3rd Wales cap within the Six Nations.

Gatland’s aspect open up their Championship with a frightening journey to Paris to face France on Friday evening. If concerned, will probably be one other step on Hathaway’s upward curve.

‘There are huge variations between membership and worldwide rugby in belongings you don’t actually see till you’re in it – the velocity of the sport, the depth of the coaching, the physicality,’ Hathaway says. ‘I’ve been enjoying with some gamers who have been my icons rising up and the coaches have been actually good. They’ve challenged me quite a bit.

‘I’ve at all times needed to push myself extra with a view to study extra. To get the possibility to exit to Australia final summer time and play worldwide rugby topped it off actually.

‘It doesn’t matter what job you’re in, it’s at all times troublesome at first once you begin studying up and progressing. However the factor with rugby is you’re at all times studying.

The 21-year-old earned his first couple of caps for the Welsh nationwide staff final 12 months

‘There’s at all times competitors and stuff to enhance on. My debut in Australia was surreal.

‘I can’t keep in mind something concerning the recreation. I can keep in mind earlier than, signing the anthem, and afterwards, however I can’t keep in mind a single factor concerning the 80 minutes. It’s only a blur.

‘It looks like a dream. I needed to slap myself just a few occasions to inform myself “That is actually taking place” however the Wales boys have been so accepting of me. It’s what I’ve at all times dreamed off.’

When he made his Wales debut in Sydney, Hathaway lined as much as sing subsequent to Liam Williams, his childhood hero.

It was affirmation of his arrival on the highest stage.

‘It was nuts,’ Hathaway says. ‘We had a photograph taken collectively after we have been stood subsequent to one another singing the anthem in Australia. It was emotional.

‘We’d additionally had an image greater than 10 years beforehand when Liam was making his breakthrough season with the Scarlets and I used to be a 10-year-old boy! To me then he was ‘Sanjay’ – one among my Welsh rugby heroes. Now I feel I’m making him really feel previous!

‘He’s nonetheless carving up within the Premiership although now he’s had the chance to return to Saracens. He was one among my idols rising up. After I see him on the pitch subsequent to me or he’s giving me a phrase of recommendation, it’s actually cool for me. Individuals may take a look at me and assume I’m within the Wales squad now, but it surely’s nonetheless superb for me to be alongside him in the identical staff.’

He stated it was ‘nuts’ enjoying alongside his childhood hero Liam Williams (pictured collectively in each photographs)

Williams is again within the Wales squad after lacking the Autumn Nations Sequence by means of harm

Hathaway is a part of a robust Welsh contingent at Gloucester.

His fellow Cherry and Whites backs Gareth Anscombe and Max Llewellyn might need been surprisingly neglected of Gatland’s squad, however Tomos Williams and Freddie Thomas have been chosen alongside Hathaway. Final season, Gloucester received the Premiership Rugby Cup and reached the ultimate of the European Problem Cup, however struggled badly within the league.

This time round, they’re revived domestically after their director of rugby George Skivington ripped up his playbook and launched a extra attacking fashion of play.

Gloucester have received 5 of their 10 league video games. However their free-flowing method has seen them take a four-try bonus level in seven of these matches.

‘We’re operating the ball much more now with Gloucester and it’s bringing out the personalities of the boys on and off the pitch. We’re all actually having fun with it,’ Hathaway says.

‘We’ve had some good wins, in addition to some video games we really feel we’ve been a bit unfortunate with, however we’re sitting fairly effectively within the Premiership desk and looking out ahead to pushing ourselves for the remainder of the season. I’ll by no means be snug. You possibly can at all times be higher.

‘There’ll at all times be somebody coming for you. I really feel I’ve been getting lots of expertise with Gloucester and Wales that has been a giant assist to me. It’s making me extra assured.

‘I really feel I can now adapt my enjoying fashion to totally different conditions. I simply need to play as a lot as doable. The most important factor for me at my age proper now could be to get as a lot expertise and studying as I can every week.

Warren Gatland’s Dragons aspect wish to flip the tide after a torrid 2024 marketing campaign

‘Leicester are simply above us within the desk and are a very powerful, bodily and aggressive aspect. Hopefully, it offers me an opportunity to indicate my physicality as effectively. Some folks may assume I’m a bit too younger, however I need to show to folks I’m prepared. I would like to indicate that now.

‘We’ll 100 per cent be on the lookout for a top-four spot, perhaps even larger. We’re backing ourselves. We’ve depth to our squad and a few unbelievable expertise. No-one was anticipating the win we had over Sale. The assumption now we have throughout Gloucester as a membership is large.

‘It’s the identical with Gloucester-Hartpury – the ladies’s staff. We’ve confidence we are able to do one thing particular this season.’

At Gloucester, Hathaway is one among what his team-mates name ‘the butts’ – a jokey time period for the Welsh internationals at Kingsholm.

Wales endured a more-than-tough 2024. Gatland’s youthful aspect have misplaced their final 12 Assessments and are determined for a return to successful methods after their coach survived a assessment into his place on the finish of final 12 months.

Williams is more likely to begin at full-back in Paris with Josh Adams on one wing. The opposite wing spot is open, with Hathaway rivalling Blair Murray and Tom Rogers for it.

Like Murray and Rogers, Hathaway may also play full-back which makes him an excellent choice for matchday involvement – presumably as twenty third man.

That’s the function he’ll fulfil for Gloucester towards Leicester on Saturday as the 2 groups compete for the Slater Cup. The trophy is known as after Ed Slater, the lock who performed for each golf equipment who’s now battling the terrible cruelty that’s motor neurone illness.

Hathaway sticks an opportunity of involvement with Wales merely due to his versatility

‘We have been gutted for Gareth and Max to not be concerned within the Six Nations, however Warren makes the selections and we’ll again him,’ Hathaway says.

‘We’ve just a little Welsh bond right here which is at all times good. With Wales, we imagine with the aspect now we have and the depth now we have that we are able to push ourselves to the max, whether or not that’s going for the title or pushing to win the video games we imagine we are able to win. We really feel we are able to progress this 12 months as a Welsh squad. We need to be one the followers need to watch and need to again.

‘My largest Six Nations reminiscence is Wales’ 30-3 win over England in 2013. I used to be at my uncle’s wedding ceremony and as a household we have been all watching it within the reception afterwards.

‘Yearly, the Six Nations is what each little boy or woman who loves rugby appears to be like ahead to and it’s the event everybody needs to play in. It’s the identical for me. I can’t wait.’