So, the “Lane Train” has left Cardiff Central and is on its way to Tokyo.
There was always a chance that Owen Lane would get the call to join the Wales squad out in Japan at some point, having narrowly missed out on World Cup selection.
But what the 21-year-old winger wouldn’t have been expecting was for it to follow an injury to a back rower.
Yet that’s precisely what has happened, with the former Cowbridge Comprehensive pupil being drafted in as a replacement for his hamstrung Cardiff Blues team-mate Josh Navidi.
So what’s the thinking behind this move?
Well, it’s a combination of a number of factors really.
To start with, Wales went for an extra back row forward in their original 31-man squad, as Aaron Shingler was needed to cover second row given the injury doubt over Cory Hill.
With the luckless Hill then being replaced by Bradley Davies and fellow lock Adam Beard having recovered from his appendix surgery, Shingler has been able to revert to blindside duties.
So even with Navidi ruled out, Wales still have five specialist back rowers on board, in Shingler, Aaron Wainwright, Ross Moriarty, Justin Tipuric and James Davies.
As such, they don’t particularly need reinforcing in that department or anywhere else in the pack for that matter.
But it’s a different story in the backs.
That’s where an extra body will be useful given the assorted injury issues.
Jonathan Davies missed Sunday’s quarter-final victory over France due to a knee problem and remains a doubt for the semi-final showdown with South Africa.
Co-centre Hadleigh Parkes has also been in the wars, breaking a bone in his hand and taking a bang to his shoulder during the group stage.
On top of that, fly-half Dan Biggar has suffered a couple of knocks to the head, while winger George North has had to nurse a sore ankle along the way.
It’s been very much a case of the walking wounded behind the scrum, so you can understand why Wales would use the vacancy created by Navidi’s exit to bolster numbers there.
Head coach Warren Gatland confirmed that was the plan when announcing the loss of the Blues back rower to a hamstring injury.
The question was which back would it be?
Given Davies’ situation and the bumps Parkes has taken, the assumption was it was likely to be a centre, especially as only three were picked in the first place, with Owen Watkin completing the trio.
That then pointed to Scott Williams, who Gatland had gone out of his way to praise after omitting him from the original World Cup squad last month.
He revealed Williams had been unable to bend down to pick up a ball when he first came into camp at the start of the summer due to a long-term back injury.
He went on to commend the massive strides the Ospreys centre had made in making himself available for selection.
And he added: “If we do get injuries, he’s definitely an option for us.”
So Williams looked to tick a lot of boxes. He’s a quality specialist centre who can cover 12 and 13. He’s also vastly experienced with 58 caps and two World Cups under his belt.
And he’s got more game-time behind him now, having started all three league matches for the Ospreys this season.
Yet, it’s not him but the one-cap Lane who has received the call.
What are we to make of that then?
Does it mean the Welsh coaches are not quite certain on Williams’ readiness, given he was out of the game for some seven months with his back problem?
Maybe so or perhaps it’s just a rugby call based on the versatility and value that Lane offers to the squad.
He knows the centre position well, having played all of his age-grade rugby there.
That’s where I first saw him in action as a youngster for Rhiwbina RFC and his ability in midfield was immediately apparent.
That’s also where he began his senior career, making 12 Premiership starts there for Cardiff RFC as a teenager, and he played there for Wales 20s too.
However, he hasn’t featured in the centre at regional level, with all his outings for the Blues having been on the wing.
So it would be a big ask for him to step into the position in the knock-out stage of a World Cup. Not that too many challenges seem to faze him in fairness.
Perhaps what we have then is an indication that Gatland is confident of Jonathan Davies being fit to face the Springboks in Yokohama next Sunday.
It sounds like he was close to making the quarter-final, after being named in the starting line-up, and he’s expected to resume full training in midweek.
What Lane does provide is further adaptable back-up within the squad, as someone else - in addition to North - who can cover both wing and centre.
He has more of a background in midfield than North and more experience there, albeit not at this level.
His call-up is also an indication of something else - the fact he is a serious talent and someone who could make a real impact if called into action off the bench with his predatory try-scoring prowess.
He has size, he has power, he has pace and he knows his way to the line.
As such, he is a pretty valuable asset to have on board as we reach the business end of the tournament.
