1
Good news in Welsh rugby is hard to come by in 2023. Even their U20s were mired by negativity, finishing with the wooden spoon in this year’s age-grade Six Nations. However, their appointment of Mark Jones as interim head coach has had a galvanising effect and there have been some green shoots at the ongoing Junior World Championship.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cameron Winnett is one the improving Wales youngster, playing his part in the agonising one-point near-miss versus New Zealand at Paarl and then finishing strongly at Stellenbosch to secure a win over Japan ahead of next Tuesday’s pool-closing clash with France in Athlone.
If the Winnett name sounds vaguely familiar from the past to rugby fans, it is because he made his Heineken Champions Cup debut for Cardiff in December 2021, scoring after just four minutes in a tie at Harlequins that was played despite Dai Young and his front-line squad all being unavailable after getting caught up in South Africa in yet another lockdown.
RugbyPass caught up with Winnett at the Wales team hotel in Cape Town and in a quickfire round of questions he revealed he loved watching Israel Folau when he was growing up, that he wants to sometime play with Cheslin Kolbe, and that he harbours the ambition of adding goalkicking to his repertoire:
THE BASICS
Born: January 7, 2003;
Joined Wales age-grade: Last year at 20s;
Club: Cardiff;
Position: Full-back;
Boots: Nike Tiempo;
Gumshield: I don’t wear one. I just never have really;
Headgear: No;
School: Coleg y Cymoedd.
RATE YOURSELF (out of 100)
Pace: 70;
Passing: 80, 85 maybe;
Tackling: 75.
THE PAST
My favourite Wales player of all time is… Leigh Halfpenny.
ADVERTISEMENT
Favourite try I have ever scored is… Against Harlequins.
A rugby memory that makes me smile is… Making my first appearance in URC for Cardiff.
The moment I realised I could make it is… The Harlequins game, my first senior game.
One piece of advice I would give to my younger self is… Cherish every moment.
My best subject in school was… PE.
The first player who made me fall in love with rugby is… I loved Israel Folau growing up and Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams.
ADVERTISEMENT
Growing up, my position was… Centre and then full-back.
The coach who has most impacted my game is… Dan Fish.
'Being stronger and bigger helps and I definitely want to be stronger and bigger' @heagneyl ??? talks to Cameron Winnett #WorldRugbyU20s https://t.co/QFA6WxJlLO
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 3, 2023
THE PRESENT
My best attributes on the field are… My stepping.
One thing I’m doing to improve my education is… Not at the minute. Sorry.
My favourite current Wales player is… Mason Grady.
My favourite YouTuber is… KSI.
My hardest working teammate is… Morgan Morse.
My most skilful teammate is… Louie Hennessey.
My favourite training drill is… One v ones.
My favourite music artist is… Probably Drake.
THE FUTURE
A player who could go all the way is… Morgan Morse.
If I could play with anyone, I would like to play with… Cheslin Kolbe.
I will be happy with my career if I… Play international seniors.
I want to make a difference by… Helping my team win.
One thing I want to add to my game is… Goalkicking.
If I could get a degree in anything I would choose… Not sure, sorry.
I would be a better player if I… Got bigger.
If I could play in any other country, I would play in… France.
One person I want to meet is… Cheslin Kolbe.
One trophy I would love to win is… Heineken Champions Cup.
Comments on RugbyPass
As long as New Zealand youth are involved in sport they are passionate for, and are well supported, it’s all good. I love league as well as rugby. NRL clubs have long since scouted the First 15 competitions, the NH and Japan scout super rugby and NPC. It’s a miracle there’s any players left for the all blacks to pick from.
4 Go to commentsI'm a Bok fan, so I don't say this lightly, but he is one of my all time favourite players. I am really going to miss watching him play. Thanks for many great memories. You are a true legend of the game.
3 Go to commentsBest way to deal with all of this is to play another game.
119 Go to commentsIt’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
5 Go to commentsAndy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
5 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
3 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
119 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
3 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
4 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
4 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
119 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
4 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to comments