England under-20s star emerges to rave reviews but he 'sees himself as a Welshman'
Last Friday night Warren Gatland and Rob Howley were both present at Ashton Gate as Gloucester beat Bristol Bears in a thrilling game.
You don't have to have the inside track to come to the conclusion Gatland was there to run the rule over Gloucester's Welsh half-backs Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe. The New Zealander will also be keeping an eye on former Cardiff centre Max Llewellyn, who has been playing well for the Cherry & Whites, along with their Welsh-qualified lock Freddie Thomas.
While Bristol do not have as many Welsh players in their ranks as previous seasons, with the likes of Ioan Lloyd, Callum Sheedy and Dan Thomas no longer at the club, there is one player who came off the bench that evening at Ashton Gate the Welsh management should be keeping a close eye on. His name is Joe Jenkins, a former England U20s centre who also qualifies for Wales and has long been considered someone with a very high ceiling.
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The 20-year-old has been on the Welsh Rugby Union's radar in the past, but like many English-based players who qualify for Wales represented England at age-grade level. Last year former Wales U20s head coach Byron Hayward revealed he had tried to select Jenkins in his squad. Get the latest Welsh rugby breaking news by signing up to our free daily newsletter here.
"I spoke to Joe's dad back in November because he is definitely a player we are interested in," said Hayward back in February 2023. "He's Welsh-qualified. He said Joe felt obligated to England because he'd come through their U18s programme, and they had rehabbed him through a knee injury which is totally explainable. I understand and quite admire his loyalty.
"He is 100% Welsh and assured me that Joe wants to play for Wales at senior level and sees himself as a Welshman. However, at this moment in time he felt a loyalty to England because they've looked after him."
Having been born in Halifax, Jenkins qualifies for Wales through his father's side of the family who originally hail from Llanharan. The Monmouth School product played for Newport Schools and trialled for the Dragons U16s side but didn't make the cut at the Welsh club and was eventually picked up by Bristol.
Jenkins became Bristol's youngest ever starter in the Gallagher Premiership when he made his debut as an 18-year-old against Saracens in November 2022. But the talented centre has been unlucky with injuries which stunted his progress somewhat and has spent some time on loan in the English Championship with Cornish Pirates.
But he is still only 20 and it feels as if he finally has a firm foothold in the Bristol matchday 23 and will likely be a permanent figure for the Bears moving forward. For those who watched Bristol's eye-catching 36-26 victory over high-flying Bath at the Rec on Saturday, they would almost certainly have been impressed with Jenkins' performance.
Having started on the replacements' bench, Jenkins was called into action after a mere 15 minutes to replace the injured James Williams - another player who is Welsh-qualified - and played an influential role in Bristol's victory. Jenkins' decision-making under pressure was excellent and he linked well with Bristol's powerhouse South African centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg.
Jenkins got over the gain line, tackled everything that moved and made a couple of incisive breaks. He is now tipped to start against Exeter Chiefs in the next match and If he can stay fit then there's no reason he cannot go from strength to strength.
The midfield is a position Wales struggled in over the past season and while there are some promising players emerging like Eddie James, Mason Grady and Louie Hennessey, you cannot have enough options. While he has previously indicated to the WRU he wants to play for Wales at senior level, he was born in England and a future tug of war between both nations for his services isn't out of the question.
Given the number of Welsh players plying their trades across the Severn Bridge, Gatland's gaze will often be drawn towards the Premiership and while the likes of Anscombe and Williams may get most of the attention, Jenkins is most definitely someone Wales management should make contact with, if they haven't already.