Wales star ditched by Pivac now looks like starting World Cup opener

Elliot Dee was a constant under Warren Gatland in 2019, but fell away when Wayne Pivac took charge

Cast your mind back four years and Elliot Dee was as symbolic as where Wales were heading into the 2019 World Cup as any other player.

On the back of a lengthy winning run, a Grand Slam and a brief rise to number one in the world rankings, Warren Gatland's class of 2019 was just about as settled as you could wish to be.

The Dragons hooker was a fine example of that. Granted, he rarely started ahead of Ken Owens, but he was a trusted lieutenant of Gatland's. The Wales coach knew he could rely on Dee whenever called upon, which was often.

At the end of Gatland's first spell in charge, Dee featured in 29 of a possible 31 Tests. Along with the likes of Owen Watkin, Tomos Williams and, for a while, Dan Biggar, he was a bench option who was continually trusted to close out matches as part of this red winning machine.

If Dee was symbolic of where Wales were heading into the 2019 World Cup, then his fate post-Japan could also be used to chart Wales' fortunes leading into 2023.

From being a mainstay of the matchday 23, Dee drifted out of contention under Wayne Pivac, with the former Scarlets coach last capping him against Australia in November 2021.

From there, injuries affected his club form with the Dragons, while he also didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with Dean Ryan before the director of rugby left Rodney Parade. Had he not, Dee might have been club teammates with the two props he's packing down with this weekend against South Africa, Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti, having been linked with a move to Cardiff.

Dee persevered and now, as the years and months ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France turn into weeks and days, he feels well-placed to make a second World Cup.

The 29-year-old is only too aware of the difference in World Cup cycles and the growing up he has done while in the Test wilderness.

"It's been brilliant being back in camp in the mix with the boys," he admits. "I think the difference probably is that you grow up a bit in those years out. Lots of things happened in the meantime. I've had a little boy.

"Being a youngster, I think all you ever want to do is play for Wales. It's the be all and end all. But having a bit of time away has also been good for me, having other things as well. I feel refreshed. I'm really enjoying being back in camp. It's different, but it's different for good reasons. I'm really excited about it."

With the likes of Ryan Elias and Dewi Lake sweating on their fitness, Dee not only seems safe of a place on the plane, but appears to be in pole position for the No. 2 jersey in France next month.

Certainly, that is the opinion of former Dragons coach Bernard Jackman. The former Ireland hooker saw Dee's strengths first-hand during his time in charge at Rodney Parade.

Speaking on WalesOnline's Welsh Rugby Podcast, which you can listen to on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, Jackman was full of praise for how Dee has overcome his injury issues.

"I do (think he's good enough to be first-choice)," said Jackman. "One hundred per cent. I think this is an opportunity for him. He's had a very frustrating period at the Dragons with an injury that was hard to diagnose and didn't go away. He hasn't had a chance to really kick on.

"Think back to the last World Cup and how many caps he accumulated in a relatively quick period, mainly off the bench in fairness to Ken Owens. Four years later, he's now got an injury-free run and he has all the tools to be a key player for Gatland."

Perhaps there is a slight irony in how a player who has endured injury woes might now be thrust into the starting role due to injuries to others. Ultimately, that's the game of rugby for you.

For Dee, there were moments where he doubted whether he would ever reach this stage again.

"Certainly (I've had doubts)," adds the hooker. "I think everyone in professional sport would.

"There's ups and downs, isn't there? You can't always just be plain sailing. But that's just something you've got to roll with. You've got to enjoy the ups and not get too down with the downs.

"You can't get too far ahead of yourself when things are going well. Keep working hard, really. That's something I've done more in the last 18 months, focusing on working hard and doing everything right rather than thinking too far ahead. It's gone well up to now.

"It's something I'm not going to go away from. If anyone ever says anything good about me, I just say I'm head down working. If they say anything bad, I say I'm head down working. I think that's stood me in good stead so far. It's the way I want to go about my business."

That attitude is what has got him back to this point, being the man that Gatland can trust. Above all, he's a reliable presence.

Jackman knows that only too well, as well as what else he offers. It's all that which has the former Ireland hooker believing it could be tricky usurping Dee should he be handed the starting jersey.

"He's a good footballer, he has an unbelievable engine, he's a very strong competitor," added Jackman. "He hates to lose. And he throws and scrummages well. He also has a very good mental capacity to stay relaxed and trust his throwing and drill. He's good at building up relationships with his lineout callers.

"I saw first-hand him and Cory Hill work together. They pretty much knew what each other was thinking. A year ago, I suppose he wasn't in the picture under Pivac. But he could be the starter for Wales in the World Cup. If he does get the start, it could be hard to get the jersey off him."

Wales begin their World Cup campaign against Fiji on September 10.

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