The 24-year-old is desperate to impress head coach Warren Gatland as the build-up goes up a gear with back-to-back warm-up games against England.
He was forced to endure some dark moments during Wales’ altitude training camp in Switzerland, but Elias is battling through to put his best foot forward in a bid to seal a place in the final Rugby World Cup squad.
“You go through some dark places in these camps but I want to be pushing the guys in front of me and make the plane for Japan,” he said. “It’s a huge thing to be selected for a Rugby World Cup so that’s what drives me on during those brutal running sessions. We all want to win a World Cup, but I want to get there first.
“Gats always talks about a player’s point of difference. I would say mine is all about getting my hands on the ball. I’m a big strong carrier and I like to use my size around the pitch but I also love to scrummage.”
Elias has been working closely with his regional skipper Ken Owens since graduating from Wales Under-20s and earning a senior place in the Scarlets ranks.
He is pushing the British & Irish Lions star at Parc y Scarlets and when he links up with Wales at their Vale of Glamorgan base. But he is using every session as an opportunity to learn from one of the world’s best.
“Ken is like Benjamin Button, he just keeps on getting better over the last few seasons which has been quite frustrating!” he joked. “But it’s good to have him here, I’ve been pushing him at regional level but I haven’t been having as much game time with him being captain there.
“Gats eluded to it at the start of the camp, we had a long time to put our best foot forward, so I’ve just been pushing it during every session.
“I don’t want to be third choice, I want to be second or first choice so I just have to keep putting that pressure on, and that will only make things better for the whole squad.”
