Wyatt Glad To Be Back In All Black Country

Chris Wyatt spent his 30th birthday with the rest of the Wales squad in Auckland yesterday, the same city where spent his 20th birthday and where he wants to spend many more after rugby.
But while the Llaneli lock, a late replacement for crocked forward Michael Owen, may have been thousands of miles away from his home and family, he was simply grateful to be there at all.
Wyatt first came to the City of Sails as a promising teenager just over a decade ago as part of a development training scheme organised by Newport with Auckland club side North Harbour.
It began a love affair with New Zealand that has left the second-row harbouring thoughts of retiring to the country when he eventually hangs up his boots.
But before then, there will certainly be no love lost if he gets the chance to mix it with the current All Blacks during this tour.
“It has been great to be back in New Zealand and back in the Wales squad, it feels like it has been a long time since I was in either,” said the 33-times-capped Scarlet.
“My love for New Zealand hasn’t waned one bit since I came to Auckland in 1993 when I was 19 years old.
“I was here when the British Lions came over that year. One week I was watching the likes of Frank Bunce and Walter Little face Scott Gibbs and Jeremy Guscott, then a few weeks later I was playing against them in the club league.
“It was an amazing experience at that age and opened my eyes to a whole new way that rugby was played and a new attitude to training.
“I thought we were mad about rugby in Wales but here you hear men and women arguing over who they think should be in the All Blacks. Sport is a passion for everyone in New Zealand, male or female.”
Wyatt beat Newport’s Ian Gough to get the nod from Steve Hansen once Owen’s worst fears were confirmed that he was not going to recover from his knee injury in time to come on tour.
The rest of the players in the tour party may well be glad of that decision with Wyatt having used his old contacts to set up a fishing trip for the Welsh squad.
Nevertheless it was a timely re-call for the lineout expert with the World Cup just four months away after more than a year out of the international reckoning.
“When I wasn’t involved at all in the autumn internationals I did wonder whether I might miss out on the Six Nations – as indeed I did,” said Wyatt. “It was obviously disappointing but there reached a stage that I had to put it to bed and concentrate on playing well at club level.
“I was sad for Michael (Owen) but he is a very good young player and he will get more opportunities, I’m sure.”
Robert Sidoli and Gareth Llewellyn are favourites to fill the second-row against Australia on Saturday. If that is the case then Wyatt could find himself vyng with clubmate Vernon Cooper for a place on the relacements bench.