Nick Tompkins has a different take on the Welsh player exodus

Wales centre Nick Tompkins is encouraging more of the country’s top players to move to England.

Confirmation that Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will leave the Ospreys for Gloucester at the end of the season has been widely viewed as another blow for the game in Wales.

Tompkins, though, who came through the Saracens academy and has spent his entire career in England save for one season on loan at the Dragons when the club was relegated, feels the Prem will improve the duo.

And he would recommend a similar move east for other Wales internationals given the uncertainty hanging over the regional game at home.

“When the future’s unknown, you don’t know what’s going on, you don’t know what club is going to be there or what’s going to happen, it’s always tough for lads. They’re thinking about their families, they’re thinking about their livelihoods so it is tough,” said Tompkins.

“I had a few conversations with guys who were thinking maybe about where they were going to be and talking about clubs and stuff. I gave my opinion about the Prem and how good it is.

“I’ve been a massive advocate for the Prem and how good it is as a league and how good it would be for any of them to come over because I know how good they are.

“It’s no dig at the regions or anything like that. But the likes of Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake are world class and I think for them it’s just going to elevate their game even more. People are going to see how good they really are – especially in a really good set-up like Gloucester. I think it can only be a good thing.

“I do understand that it’s tough for some of the regions and the Welsh fans to see their players going – I do get that – but I think from a positive side, they need to see how good some of the players have been (in England). Nicky Smith, Tomos Williams, Tommy Reffell…these lads have flourished in the Prem and they’ve taken their games to the next level, so I think it’s going to be the same for Jac and Dewi.

“For them it gives them a different platform to play on, and it shows other fans how good these lads are, not just in an international setting. I think it will really show them off as players.”

Williams, the Gloucester captain, has announced he will be leaving Kingsholm at the end of the season and has been strongly linked with a move to Saracens.

The club’s director of rugby Mark McCall remained tight-lipped over the possibility earlier this week.

“You hear all this speculation – everyone coming and going and whatnot – but that’s above my pay grade,” said Tompkins. “I’d love it to happen. When I chat to all of them in camp, I try to recruit all of them!”