Rookie fly-half ‘wants to be involved’ with Wales ‘as soon as possible’

Scarlets fly-half Ioan Lloyd is hopeful strong performances in this season’s Challenge Cup and United Rugby Championship will result in a recall for Wales.

Lloyd debuted in international rugby in late 2020, playing Test matches against Georgia and Italy. However, he has not been capped by Wales since.

Keen to play for Wales again

“I want to play for Wales, that has always been the dream,” Lloyd told the BBC’s Scrum V podcast.

“I haven’t had any conversations and I haven’t targeted the Six Nations, but I want to be involved as soon as possible. However, Scarlets has to be the main thing for me first.

“I’m very grateful for getting that chance, but I do use it as motivation to have a better experience – as much as possible.”

Lloyd’s Wales debut came against Georgia in Llanelli during the Covid-19 pandemic, when spectators were not allowed to attend matches throughout the world.

“It was very different to how I had always imagined getting my first cap would be,” he added.

“There was no-one there, not even my parents. In fact I think my mum watched the game on her phone in a layby off the motorway. My younger brother had appendix pain so had to go to hospital so my parents struggled to watch it.

“I remember driving home after the game, I opened the door, really excited with my Wales cap on – and no-one was home.”

Scarlets will meet Welsh rivals Ospreys in the URC in Llanelli on December 26. They met in the same competition last month, when Ospreys won 31-9.

‘Biggest game of the season’

“I’m starting to understand the magnitude of the fixture against the Ospreys, how much it means to the team and whole community. It’s the biggest game of the season,” said Lloyd.

“It’s a big game for them as well. I had a taste of it down there a few weeks ago and we need to use that disappointment as motivation to put in a performance we’re proud of.”

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