The Ospreys half-back was named in returning Wales coach Warren Gatland’s first matchday squad for the Guinness Six Nations opener against Ireland at the Principality Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The 34-year-old Ospreys scrum half was last selected for Wales against England back in November 2020.
“It’s obviously been a long time out of the international set-up and it’s an absolute joy to be back,” said Webb. “It’s like when I first got called up in 2012, a goose-bump moment.
“The feeling has all come back to me and I’m just loving every day being in camp with the boys. Gats is a familiar face and I’ve also worked with Alex King and Mike Forshaw a little bit as well. There are some new faces in the camp and yeah, I’m just enjoying being in the environment and looking forward to being an international player again.”
Webb reveals that his ambition to play for his country is stronger than ever after playing spells outside Wales with Toulon in France and Bath in England.
“I never once wrote it off. Obviously, it’s been a longer journey than I thought, but I never once let that get to me,” said Webb.
“Credit to the Ospreys for giving me the captaincy when Justin Tipuric wasn’t about. Having the responsibility of that leadership with a young group of players meant I was just trying to enjoy my rugby as best I could.
“I’ve got a young family around me, three young boys, and seeing them enjoy themselves at the games is the reason why I play. Seeing them happy after the game makes me happy. I’ve always had that drive, that spirit, that fire in my belly to get back into this red jersey.”
Webb will be hoping he gets a chance to come off the bench against Ireland this weekend to add to his 36 caps. Tomos Williams was given the nod to start the game.
The thought of pulling on the famous red jersey once again on Saturday and getting another chance to prove what he can do, has been a major motivating factor for him all season.
Rhys Webb on Test duty with the 2017 British & Irish Lions
“I’m obviously over the moon and delighted to be back but for me this is where I feel I belong,” said Webb. “I’ve still got that fire in my belly and every time I put that Welsh jersey on it fills me with pride.
“There is no better place to play than in Wales and at Principality Stadium. I’ve been there watching with my kids when I’ve not been involved, and it brings up the hairs on the back of my neck. It’s so nice to be involved again.”
Webb is expecting Ireland to arrive in Wales full of confidence, and to present a typically stern challenge, but he will be hoping to maintain his 100% success rate against the men in green. To date he has faced them three times and been on the winning side each time – twice in 2015 and once in 2017.
“We know Ireland are a world-class side and Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht have been flying for a number of years,” said Webb.
“They’ve got a lot of strength in depth and it’s great to have them up first. We’ll look a little bit into them but for us it’s about concentrating on ourselves.
“We’ve got new coaches and new set-ups in place and if we nail down our responsibilities as best we can then we should be in for a good game.”
