Joe Hawkins: 'The two years I had in Exeter, it did make me realise'

Joe Hawkins says the two years he spent in international exile in England made him realise just how much he loved playing for Wales.

The five-times capped utility back moved from the Ospreys to Exeter in 2023 and that made him ineligible to represent his country under the WRU’s 25-cap rule.

However, he’s now returned across the bridge to join the Scarlets, which means he is able to resume his Test career, if selected.

“It’s nice to be back,” says the 23-year-old, as he prepares for Saturday’s BKT URC opener at home to Munster Rugby.

“I wanted to fulfil my potential. What I had gained ability-wise from Exeter, I probably couldn’t have been pushed on anymore, really.

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“The way the Scarlets play rugby suits the way I like to play. I felt like joining them was the next step on my journey of being the best player I can be – to really try and drive that side of my game.

“Obviously, the potential of maybe playing for Wales again is a big thing as well.

“The two years I had in Exeter, it did make me realise how much I do love playing for Wales and how much I relish playing international rugby.”

Hawkins made his Test debut against Australia in November 2022, starting at inside centre, and retained his spot for the following Six Nations.

But then, in April 2023, came the news that he had signed for Exeter.

“It was obviously a tough decision, having just played my first season internationally,” he recalls.

“Everything I wanted to do was play for Wales, and obviously, there was a World Cup on the horizon as well.

“But, as everyone knows, there was a lot of stuff going on in Welsh rugby at the time, and for me, as a 20-year-old, I just had to try and secure my future in the professional game.

“But I’ve also always wanted to try and fulfil my potential. That’s always been my goal, and I felt like Exeter was the best place for me to do that.

“So that was a big reason behind it. It wasn’t just an on-field decision; it was a life decision as well off the field. It was my first time moving away from home, living on my own, and having to do everything myself.

“I do think I have reaped the rewards from that maturity-wise and just life experience from going down there.”

It did, however, mean putting his international career on hold, with the WRU confirming he had made himself ineligible with the move.

“I knew there was a potential I wouldn’t be able to play for Wales by going there,” he says.

“But I was comfortable with that being the case, if I wasn’t able to.

“I felt the positives from developing as a player and a person outweighed the negatives, even losing out on Wales for a couple of years.

“Being so young, I just felt I always had the potential and time to be able to come back to Wales, which I have done now.

“As a young person, you are going to have ups and downs in your career.

“I look back on it and am I a better player now than I was when I went down there two years ago? Yes, I am. So for me, that is success.

“It has put me in the right direction in my career, coming back to Wales now.”

Rugby is very much in Hawkins’ blood, with his centre father David and scrum-half uncle Dan having both represented Wales at age-grade level and had fine club careers.

“I have always been surrounded by rugby, so I was naturally going to go into it some way or another,” says the young man who now coaches his local Swansea Valley club, Ystalyfera.

The former Wales U20s skipper is equally at home at centre and fly-half, so where does he see his positional future lying?

“As I am getting older and a bit more mature, I feel myself leaning more towards playing at 10,” he replies.

“With what my strengths are, I want the ball in my hands a bit more. I want that responsibility of running the team and making decisions for the team.

“Playing at 12, when you are that one ball further away from the scrum-half, you are not in the game as much sometimes.”

The Scarlets made the URC play-offs last season, so what are Hawkins’ hopes for his new club?

“We definitely don’t want to stand still. It’s not a case of ‘Well done, you finished eighth, let’s just try and do that again’.

“We want to improve on last season. We want to try and push on and finish top six.”

Looking at opening opponents Munster, he added:

“They have always been one of the top sides in the URC and Europe.

“It’s a tough start, but it’s something you want because come the end of that first game, we will certainly know where we are at as a team and where we are at in the league. So it’s really exciting.”