The Swansea No. 8 has yet to start a game at regional level having made just three appearances off the bench for the Ospreys while plying his trade this season in the semi-professional Welsh Premiership.
Yet with as many as 25 front-line players missing from the Wales tour party that arrived in Osaka yesterday on Saturday, ahead of the first Test on June 8, 20-year-old Baker knows the door is open to stake his claim
“It has been a massive jump from club to international rugby, even just with the training,” said Baker
“I was in shock at first but I’ve been working hard on conditioning to get myself right for the tour. That side of my game hasn’t been the best but it’s coming along.”
Wales arrived in Japan with their most inexperienced Test squad that includes ten uncapped players and a further nine with fewer than five international appearances to their name.
But Baker believes these development tours have proved a successful breeding ground for stars of the future and revealed the young Dragons are desperate to prove they can make the grade.
“It’s an exciting trip to Japan,” said Baker.
“There are quite a few youngsters in the squad but they are good all players and we all look back at what happened four years ago when Wales toured at the same time as the British lions.
“A lot of boys came through on that trip, including Sam Warburton, Jonathan Davies and Richard Hibbard and look where they are now. So I know this is a chance I have to take. I would love to get on the pitch and play against Japan who can’t be underestimated.”
Baker hails from the same Swansea Valley school, Cwmtawe Comprehensive, as Justin Tipuric and has been destined to wear the Three Feathers on his chest having represented Wales at Under-16s, 18s and 20s level, including a famous first defeat over the Baby Blacks at last year’s Junior World Cup.
“I’ve trained alongside Justin at the Ospreys and he’s a class player, something special,”said Baker.
“It would be brilliant to play alongside him next season because you can learn a lot from playing with experienced players, such as Ryan Jones, for instance. Players like that give the youngsters tips. I am a quiet boy and it is good for more senior boys to advise you.”
However it is another Welsh British & Irish Lion that Baker has already been compared to given his ball-carrying prowess, even behind a Swansea pack that has been at times on the back foot this season.
“People have said I play a bit like Quinnell because I like to carry the ball,” added Baker.
“It’s a big compliment to be compared with someone like that, a great player.
“I would class myself as a ball-carrier and I spent a lot of time watching and admiring the likes of Filo Tiatia at the Ospreys and Xavier Rush at Cardiff Blues.
“But it’s just about taking it stride by stride. I just have to prove to the coaches that I should make the team and that will push me further.”
