Johnny focused on starting at Scarlets

JOHNNY Williams insists he is in no rush to follow Dragons recruit Nick Tompkins and fast track his way into the Wales team after swapping Newcastle for Scarlets.

- JON NEWCOMBE

Both centres won the World Rugby U20 Championship with England as teenagers – Tompkins in 2014 and Williams two years later – but qualify for Wales because of family connections in the north of the country.

Londoner Tompkins is eligible through his Wrexham-born grandmother Enid, and was a surprise inclusion in Wayne Pivac’s first Six Nations squad, winning four caps, while uncapped Williams’ Welsh-speaking dad is from Rhyl.

The two could soon be competitors for a place in Wales’ midfield but Williams, who hails from Reading, says he has a big enough fight on his hands getting into a star-studded Scarlets back line before entertaining any thoughts of higher honours.

“There is basically a full international backline at Scarlets, so it is going to be seriously competitive and tough to get into the team,” he told The Rugby Paper.