In the past we’ve had national debates on whether it should be David Watkins or Barry John, John or Phil Bennett, Bennett or Dai Richards, Gareth Davies or Malcolm Dacey, Neil Jenkins or Adrian Davies and James Hook or Stephen Jones.
Now the spotlight has turned on two old rivals – Callum Sheedy and Jarrod Evans.
They have battled long and hard against each other down the years ever since they were playing junior rugby together at the age of 10.
Sheedy has retained the jersey to face Argentina this weekend, but the fit-again Evans is back on the bench and very much back in his great counterpart’s rear view mirror. It was ever thus!
“We go all the way back to the Under-10’s when I was playing for St Peter’s and he was playing for Pontyclun. Even then people would be saying it’s ‘Callum v Jarrod’,” said Sheedy.
“I‘m going to say St Peter’s won, but Jarrod will probably say different. It was a long time ago, but I do remember he stepped me and handed me off and I still have sleepless nights about that.
“We get on brilliantly and we’re really good friends off the pitch.
“It’s very competitive on the pitch, but it’s great we can have that bit of banter. That’s how you want it and it’s how it has always been between us.
“On the pitch we go at it and off it we are best of friends having a bit of a laugh and some craic and that’s how rugby should be. We’d like to think we help to get the best out of each other, not just in this camp but since we were 10 years old.”
While Evans graduated through the Cardiff Blues age-grade system and academy, Sheedy headed over the Severn Bridge and even played for Ireland U18 and an England XV before settling on playing for the land of his birth.
“Jarrod played for Blues North and I was in Blues South, so we didn’t actually play in the same team. He was from Pontypridd and I was from Cardiff,” added Sheedy.
“I got the chance to go across the border with a great opportunity to go to Millfield. It was too good to turn down and the Bristol link just happened from there. There was no cynical thinking on who was at the Blues, or anything like that, it was just a case of me going with the flow.
“As it happened, both Jarrod and I have managed to get plenty of game time over the years and now we are in the Wales squad together which is the perfect outcome.
“I really enjoy watching him play because I love the way he plays for Cardiff. We’ve kept in constant contact even when we weren’t playing much at 19 and 20 when we were third or fourth choices.
“We’d still message each to see how we were getting on. We see the game in a similar way, we are similar players, and we both have a similar philosophy on how the game should be played.”
While linking up with Evans has been a pleasure for Sheedy, he also admits to having been a bit star-struck when he first came into the Wales camp and found he was working with one of his childhood heroes in attack coach Stephen Jones.
“It was weird when I first met Steve because I grew up watching him. His battles with Ronan O’Gara over the years would be my favourite games,” Sheedy added.
“When I finally got to speak to him, I was a bit sheepish and couldn’t believe it was actually him. Being able to work with him and see his ideas, his energy and enthusiasm on the game, and for attacking rugby, really does rub off on the players.
“I’ve learned so much just in the couple of weeks I have been in here and last autumn and the Six Nations before that. I definitely feel by working with Stephen and Neil Jenkins, guys who have played No 10 for Wales and got hundreds of caps, it has made me such a better person and player.”
