LONG READ Joe Hawkins: 'I'm definitely better at 12 than I am 10, but I’m happy jumping between both roles.'

A handful of Welsh players are finishing up their kicking session beneath a crisp winter sky, the tops of the Andes visible above the stands of the Estadio del Bicentenario in San Juan. One of them is Joe Hawkins, who finds time to crack a couple of jokes with his teammates between shots at goal. Our conversation, which begins at the side of the pitch, has to move indoors when the stadium speakers crackle into life with the opening bars of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. For Hawkins, who spent two years watching Wales from afar after his move to Exeter, it is a reminder of why he came home.

Few recent transfers have sparked more debate than Hawkins’ decision to leave the Ospreys for Exeter in 2023. One of the country’s brightest young talents accepted that the move would make him unavailable for international selection, just months before the Rugby World Cup. San Juan is nearly 7,000 miles from Wales, yet it was the 160-mile journey from Swansea to Exeter that forced Hawkins to spend two years watching these occasions from afar.

“It was tough watching Wales playing and knowing I wasn’t able to be involved, especially when they got that first win out in Japan which they’d been building towards for a while. But I was always rooting for them, hoping everything was going to go well.”

Hawkins was just 20 when he made the decision to leave Welsh rugby but, even at that tender age, he was keenly aware of the sacrifice he was making. Hawkins’ grandfather, father, and uncle all won age-group caps for Wales, but none made a senior appearance. The family knows how hard these caps are to come by better than most.

“I obviously sought advice from my father and uncle while it was all going on. It wasn’t a case of I just rocked up home one day and said, ‘Oh, I’m moving down to Exeter.’ They were just supportive of whatever decision I made and they thought that was the right thing for me to do at that time.”

At 20, Hawkins could afford to think differently from players nearing the end of their careers. The move wasn’t intended to close the door on Wales forever. If anything, it was built on the belief that there would still be time to reopen it.

“I knew that if I did want to come back one day I had time on my side to hopefully play for Wales again one day. Luckily that has happened now.”

The instability within Welsh rugby played a part in his decision to leave. He has returned amid another period of uncertainty, although the recent confirmation that the Scarlets had signed Welsh rugby’s new Professional Rugby Agreement has at least brought clarity over the club’s immediate future. After two years of watching his peers pull on the red jersey without him, Hawkins decided he was ready to re-enter the fray in spite of it all.

Off the pitch it’s been real good being back – I was living with my parents for the first six months being back but I’m living with my missus now. They’re probably happy to see the back of me. Fed up with my washing, cooking and all that.

“[My motivation] was probably around the international stuff. I just felt like it was the right time to come back and try and get back involved. I felt like if I’d have potentially left it too long then that ship can sail sometimes.”

Hawkins has more than doubled his tally of Wales caps since returning, but the furore surrounding his departure means it is easy to forget he remains an international novice. Returning home required an adjustment on and off the field.

“I’ve really enjoyed my first year [with the Scarlets]. It’s been a bit of a tough season on the pitch but I think that’s the way it goes sometimes. Off the pitch it’s been real good being back – I was living with my parents for the first six months being back but I’m living with my missus now. They’re probably happy to see the back of me. Fed up with my washing, cooking and all that sort of stuff!”

The six months spent back at home offered Hawkins a rare sense of familiarity. Almost everything else had changed. He had returned to a different club, a different Wales set-up, and a squad no longer anchored by the likes of Dan Biggar and George North. The luxury of having more than 100 caps on either side of him had disappeared. Hawkins believes the experience of playing away from Wales has changed him too.

“When you’ve got all those caps around you, you sort of leave them to take the lead and lean on them. I think it’s nice to have more of a voice in the group. I bring different experiences that boys who haven’t left Wales wouldn’t have. Maybe I see the game in slightly different ways or have different opinions. There’s a lot of different ways to play the game. There’s not one way that’s right and one way’s wrong.”

I think playing both positions helps. If I’m playing 10, I know what my centres want from me and what I expect from my centres. Likewise, if I’m playing in the centre, I know what my 10 needs from me.

This tactical flexibility is perhaps one of the reasons Hawkins has been used in different roles this season. For the Scarlets, he has tended to feature at fly-half, with Sam Costelow injured for a good chunk of the season, but Steve Tandy has preferred to pick him at inside-centre. While he acknowledges the challenges that come with switching positions, he chooses to focus on the positives.

“I think playing both positions helps. If I’m playing 10, I know what my centres want from me and what I expect from my centres. Likewise, if I’m playing in the centre, I know what my 10 needs from me. I’m definitely better at 12 than I am 10, but I’m happy jumping between both.”

Whether at 10 or 12, it seems that Hawkins has a major role to play as Wales look to recapture former glories. After back-to-back Test wins, Saturday’s defeat to Argentina was a reminder of how far they still have to go. Yet there are shoots of promise in this young group, who are gradually stepping into the roles of the legends they are attempting to emulate.

“Off the pitch it’s nice to be around lads your own age. The social side of things is huge in rugby, so it’s great to have lads with the same sort of banter. I enjoy playing cards, but there hasn’t really been a card crew in camp recently. The boys have been playing a lot of Crash, but I’m more of a gin rummy player.”

Whether he is sitting down for a game of cards or pulling on the red jersey once again, Hawkins seems content with the choices he has made. The biggest gamble of his career has already paid off.