Maybe a name change would do the trick. After all, it didn’t do Reg Dwight any harm when he woke up one morning and decided he would henceforth be known as Elton John.
Perhaps Sam Lewis could opt for Buzz Comet, Hawk Swagger or Jet Storm. Anything to attract attention to himself.
There again, all things considered, he isn’t going to go there, for the former Swansea and Ospreys flanker has always seemed happy to operate out of the limelight, allowing him to go about his business with the minimum of fuss.
His modus operandi is to let his rugby do the talking.
Very eloquent it has been, too, with Lewis performing wonderfully well for Worcester Warriors for the past three seasons. He was the coaches and players’ player of the year at the club in 2016-17 and is arguably playing better than ever right now.
Last week, he was to the fore for the Warriors against Sale, scoring a try, repeatedly cutting down opposition ball carriers, running strongly himself and ruling the breakdown.
It prompted the Gallagher Premiership’s official Twitter account to post a tweet saying: “He’s strung some quality performances together for @WorcsWarriors.
“Is he underrated by #GallagherPremiership fans?”
REPEATEDLY OVERLOOKED
National coaches could certainly be asked the same question. Wales haven’t picked him and nor have England, despite the Welsh-speaker qualifying through his Leicester-born mother, Sian.
Admittedly, Warren Gatland has huge depth at his disposal in the openside position.
But many believe the consistent excellence of Lewis should have been rewarded.
Mefin Davies, the Warriors’ assistant forwards coach, said: “Sam is outstanding, unbelievable, even.
“He’s a candidate for man of the match virtually every week and the probability is few people in Wales are aware of it. He’s a standout player and Worcester are so glad to have him.
“I don’t want to embarrass him, but some of the boys think he's up there as the best player they’ve played alongside.
“What a loss (to Welsh rugby) he is.”
OSPREYS DAYS
Davies can remember Lewis coming through at the Ospreys, the pair playing in the same team together on a number of occasions.
In one game after Davies had packed in playing, Lewis was part of an Ospreys side defending a 10-6 lead against the Scarlets in Llanelli with skipper Alun Wyn Jones in the bin. Just minutes were left as the hosts piled on pressure.
Step forward, the No. 7 that day.
In the three minutes and ten seconds after the final home lineout, he put in five tackles and achieved the turnover that settled the match in his team’s favour.
No Sam Lewis that day, no Ospreys win.
On another occasion the Wales selectors went to watch an Ospreys game against Connacht to monitor form and fitness of established players but it was Lewis who took the player-of-the-game bauble.
It was like going to an Elvis concert and seeing a member of the backing group grabbing the mic and bringing the house down.
There were three turnovers from Lewis in that match and 17 tackles. Continually, he slowed Connacht ball down at the breakdown and did all he could to hamper their effort.
It still didn’t propel him into the national set-up, though. He just seems to be a player some have a blindspot over.
“When he was at the Ospreys he was competing with Justin Tipuric, a player who is touted as the best in the world in the position,” says Davies.
"Justin is a fantastic player who deserves the plaudits he gets. But Sam was being named man of the match regularly even then.
“Unfortunately there wasn’t room for both players. It’s Worcester’s gain. He’s so well thought of up here and never fails to perform.”
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Davies remains perplexed that Lewis isn’t deemed good enough to be looked at in Test rugby. “England have shown an interest but nothing’s come of it,” he says.
CHANGING TIMES?
It is hard to imagine how the man himself could do more to advance his case.
Earlier this season he excelled for Worcester in a match against Bristol, who fielded George Smith at openside.
That's the same George Smith who won 111 caps for Australia and along the way established himself as one of the greatest breakdown operators the game has seen.
Lewis faced him, while his back-row colleague Marco Mama squared off with All Black Steven Luatua. The Guardian reported the Worcester pair "outshone their more illustrious opposite numbers".
In the Gallagher Premiership this season Lewis is second in the tackle count, having made 270 hits.
Will his chances improve with Wales after Wayne Pivac takes over following the World Cup. “I have no idea,” says Davies, the ex-Wales captain and hooker. “I don’t even think they would know of him.
“That’s the sad bit of it. But if people watched him over a period of games, they would see what a quality player he is.”
Until then, the Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr product will remain someone who could stand in an identity parade and be passed over by the casual rugby fan.
Self-effacing Sam will not let that bother him. Nor will he hold his breath waiting for a call-up that might never come.
Long ago, he has probably realised that the world can be more than a bit unjust.
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