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Wales have turned to a familiar face to anchor the scrum this summer
More than two years have passed since Dillon Lewis last pulled on a Wales jersey, but the 30-year-old has forced his way back into contention and could prove to be his country’s most important player this summer.
Test-level tighthead props capable of anchoring a scrum are among the most valuable commodities in the game, and Wales find themselves short of proven options this summer.
With the experienced Tomas Francis afforded a well-earned rest and Archie Griffin sidelined following elective surgery, depth in the position is a concern.
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Uncapped Ospreys prop Ben Warren and Cardiff’s four-cap Sam Wainwright are the other specialist tightheads in the squad.
With 57 caps to his name and a long history as a mainstay of Wales’s matchday 23, Lewis’s experience will be invaluable this summer as Wales face the Barbarians before Nations Cup fixtures against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa.
“It has been two years and it’s been riddled with a few injuries as well which hasn’t helped my case, but it was never something I gave up on,” said Lewis.
“Coming home to Wales was a big driving factor in that, just trying to be in the shop window as much as possible and luckily picked up some form towards the end of the season.
“But it’s never something I closed the door on, it’s always something I aspired to get back into, there’s a lot of competition as well to make it even harder.
“I think it’s nothing I’ve never experienced before, I’ve started a Test in Argentina and started a Test in South Africa, like these things are not strange to me, so I’m looking forward to that challenge again and having that opportunity of maybe playing some of those games.
“But in terms of that pressure that’s not something I think too much of and the likes of Ben and Sam, yes they are inexperienced but they’re incredible players and they warranted a call-up.
“I think it’s quite a good sort of environment amongst the front row at the moment, there’s constant conversations going on and we can all help each other really so I’m learning off them just as much I hope they’ll be learning off me.”
Lewis left Welsh rugby in 2023 to join Harlequins, where he benefited from working under Wales great Adam Jones, and the move helped improve his scrummaging.
Having returned to Wales with the Dragons, the former Cardiff prop produced a series of impressive performances towards the end of the United Rugby Championship season, earning a recall to the national squad.
“I think it was the landscape of Welsh rugby, the year I left was quite a difficult one from a point of view of the regions had to cut their budgets and if you’re out of contract that year you were quite unfortunate really,” he said.
“So I was out of contract, but it was time where probably I needed a change, I needed a new environment, a new challenge and fortunately the Quins gave me that.
“But it was a mixture of everything really, I was probably quite regular in the squads before leaving and then for a few different reasons when I left, I wasn’t but I’m just glad to be back in the fold.
“The set-piece was different up in England to where it was in URC and the mindset of how we sort of approached every game, it was invaluable experience for me going up there.
“I loved working under Adam and obviously the likes of Danny (Wilson) and getting to work closely with the likes of Joe Marler and Will Collier, you get to learn a lot off them.”
Lewis believes his spell in England has made him a better all-round player, a development that he hopes will benefit both the Dragons and Wales.
After a frustrating run of injuries, the 30-year-old is eager to make up for lost time and is convinced Wales are moving in the right direction under Steve Tandy.
“I’m a lot more mature in my rugby,” he said. “Going away doesn’t just develop your rugby, but you also grow up a lot as well.
“Hopefully, I’m a more mature and more rounded player – and definitely still hungry.
“I’m a proud Welshman so I always watch my country, although it is tough at times to watch when you are not involved.
“You always like to think you can add something to a team, so it has been a frustrating time for me. The way the team finished the Six Nations was brilliant to watch. You could see a definite change and it was exciting – and something I was desperate to be a part of.
“It’s been amazing to come in and working with Steve. Going back to would I be picked again, you hear all the boys coming back into the clubs and speaking so highly in the environment and how much they enjoyed it.
“It’s tough to listen to, but it also spurs you on to try and get back up here so I’ve loved being back in the environment, like you said it’s a completely fresh, new coaching staff.
“Everything’s a bit different, new outlook on the game and culture methods and study so I’ve loved and it’s been nice to get back in.”
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