Welsh International Loving His Rugby In England
Since we are entering a new World Cup cycle, Wales will rebuild their squad. It is because many important players have said goodbye to the international game. Luckily for Wales, many good prospects are coming through. Yet, the 25-cap rule stops some players from wearing the famous red jersey. Centre Joe Hawkins is one of those players who can't play for Wales. Hawkins has recently said he loves playing rugby for the Exeter Chiefs.
The Promising Joe Hawkins
Hawkins is an outstanding young player and can produce magic on the pitch. The 21-year-old has five caps for Wales and has played for the Ospreys. When he played for Wales, Hawkins made an impact. Now that he has decided to move to Exeter, he is unlikely to play for Wales. It is because Warren Gatland can only select a handful of players outside of the country. Hawkins would be a great addition to this new Welsh side. Furthermore, excluding him from the Welsh set-up would be a shame.
Loving His Rugby
He recently helped his team to a 25-24 victory at Sandy Park, where he won player of the match. Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Hawkins says he loves life in Exeter.
"Yeah, I'm loving it down here so far. It's a credit to the boys [who made it] so easy for me to settle in. It's like a home away from home for all the Welsh boys down here. I'm loving it so far and looking forward to the future.
"It's pretty well-documented that we're on the young side, but we don't let that phase us. We're not thinking about that when we're playing. We focus on getting better in every training session, taking it weekend by weekend, and growing as a team. We took significant strides forward tonight.
Quotes via Wales Online
Hawkins is a great player, and it will be great to see what he does in the future.