Nick Tompkins has revealed how a simple message helped ease his transition into the Wales set-up.
The directive had nothing to do with telling him to sharpen up his skills or learn every Welsh attacking drill by tea-time.
It just told the Sidcup-born player, who qualifies for Wales on the strength of a Wrexham-born grandmother, to work on his Welsh accent.
The tongue-in-cheek instruction came on Tompkins’ first day with the squad.
“I’ve never come into a squad where I’ve felt so at ease or accepted,” he told The Rugby Paper.
“On my first day, we walked into the gym and on the board were written a few work-ons. Mine were ‘get bigger’ and ‘work on your Welsh accent’, so humour made the transition easier.”
It’s uncertain if Tompkins has yet acquired a Welsh lilt, but the process could accelerate if he links with a region next season.
Saracens’ relegation to the English Championship because of salary-cap breaches mean the 25-year-old could be looking for a loan arrangement with one of the professional sides in Wales, with Cardiff Blues said to be the team he has chosen.
The Blues would prefer a more permanent arrangement, but Tompkins seems set on maintaining ties with the club he says he owes a lot.
“If Saracens carry on with being relegated to the championship, it will probably mean a decision to play with one of the Welsh regions to keep my standard up, so I can keep playing internationals,” he said.
“It would only be for a year, so I’d return as soon as Sarries came back up, but with what’s happening with coronavirus there’s a lot of uncertainty, so who knows what could happen.
“If there’s another scenario where Saracens stay up, maybe I’ll end up staying where I am.”
He added: “What Saracens have done for me is immeasurable. There was one moment when Nigel Wray and Edward Griffiths got my gran down from Wrexham to watch my first Premiership game. It was my first visit to Allianz Park and they laid on everything.
“It turned out to be the last game my gran saw before she passed away, which made it all the more special.
“That’s nothing to do with money. It’s just what goes on behind the scenes.”
Tompkins went on to describe his Six Nations experience with Wales as “amazing”.
The four-cap player settled on the big stage as if born for it, producing standout displays against Italy, France and England.
Indeed, so well did he play that former England centre Will Greenwood reckoned he would make a Lions squad if they had a tour this summer, calling Tompkins “sensational”.
