Corey Baldwin barely spent long enough in Exeter to acquire even a hint of a west of England accent.
In Devon for just a year, he returned to Wales this summer to rejoin the Scarlets.
For Exeter Chiefs, he made just four appearances.
But maybe the former English champions missed a beat when it came to the powerfully built former Wales U20s player whom their director of rugby Rob Baxter described as “special” when they signed him.
Anyway, all in west Wales will hope Exeter’s loss proves the Scarlets’ gain.
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This weekend, the youngster pulls on the famous red shirt of his home region once again, when Dwayne Peel’s side host Nottingham in their first pre-season friendly.
The coach, himself returning to west Wales after a spell away, is eager to see how the 22-year-old fares in Saturday’s clash, which kicks off at 2.30pm.
Asked should Welsh rugby be excited about Baldwin’s return, Peel said: “Definitely. He’s athletically very gifted and a big man who moves very well.
“He’s also been good in training.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him having a run-out on Saturday, to see where he’s at.”
Baldwin may not have spent too long with Exeter but he was part of the squad that completed a Heineken Champions Cup and Gallagher Premiership double in 2020. At 6ft and 15st, he boasts power and pace with it and he also has a nose for the try-line.
He is part of a young Scarlets side that will take on Nottingham, one that contains 14 players who have come through the region’s development system.
Ryan Conbeer makes up an exciting wing pairing with Baldwin, while scrum-half Harri Williams makes his Scarlets debut at just 18.
Up front, the highly rated Morgan Jones is at lock, with Tom Phillips recalled to the set-up amid back-row pressures that see the Scarlets missing a number of players, including Tomas Lezana, who is with Argentina in the Rugby Championship.
WillGriff John is set to make his Scarlets debut off the bench.
Overseeing his first game as head coach, Peel plans to be flexible in his thinking rather than focus too much on playing in a supposed Scarlets’ way.
"Consistency of performance is important,” he said.
“There was a lot of talk when I came back of what we needed to play what was called the Scarlets way. What is that?
“We want to play quick with the ball and traditionally we have had some good backs and forwards here who can handle the ball.
"If we do that, that's great and everybody wants to come and see some entertaining rugby.
"Ultimately, though, it's your habits around physicality and defence and what you do in general attack that are going to be important for us.”
He added that standards needed to be high in those areas ahead of the “flashy stuff”.
As for the visitors, who ply their trade in England's second-tier Championship, Craig Hammond has named his squad to face Scarlets and has also opted for an extended bench as his side bid to claim a win in their second pre-season friendly after a 60-10 defeat to Coventry last week.
Scarlets (v Nottingham): Ioan Nicholas; Ryan Conbeer, Joe Roberts, Steff Hughes (capt), Corey Baldwin; Dan Jones, Harri Williams; Kemsley Mathias, Shaun Evans, Javan Sebastian, Josh Helps, Morgan Jones, Tom Phillips, Dan Davis, Sione Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Daf Hughes, Steff Thomas, WillGriff John, Aaron Shingler, Caleb Salmon, Archie Hughes, Sam Costelow/Angus O’Brien/Tyler Morgan, Johnny McNicholl/Steff Evans.
Nottingham: Jack Stapley, David Williams, Elliot Creed, Charlie Thacker, Joe Browning, Morgan Bunting, Michael Stronge, Aniseko Sio, Jake Farnworth, Josh McNulty, Jack Ramshaw, Lewis Chessum, Scott Hall, Josh Poullet, Suvwe Obano.
Replacements: Storm Hanekom, Ben Betts, Toby Williams, Tim Hoyt, Jack Shine, Jose Andrade, Lewis Barrett, George Cox, Jacob Wright, Sam Edwards, Matt Marsh, Sam Hollingsworth, Theo Manihera, Harry Graham, James Peachey, Luke Hibberd.
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