In the previous two editions of the competition, the 27-year-old from Llantwit Major paid her dues from the bench, which makes her appreciate this year’s achievement all the more. “My first Six Nations I was just happy to get the experience, winning my first cap,” she says. “Last year was a bit stagnant for me, because I didn’t get many opportunities. To start every match this year has been fantastic. I learn so much from every single game, and being able to keep the shirt is massive for me.”
What does she put this about-turn in fortunes down to? “My understanding of the game has developed,” she explains, “which I lacked from not getting enough game time.” Factoring in Wales Women’s friendly matches prior to this year’s Women’s Six Nations, Clay has started five of her country’s past six fixtures. She is proving to be a mainstay in head coach Rowland Phillips’s team.
“The approach and the environment of the squad is fantastic,” Clay says. “Women’s rugby in Wales is in a very good place too, and although we had a very hard match against England recently, the crowd was unbelievable at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park. We hope we can give them enough incentive to come and see us there again when we play Ireland in March.”
Those who witnessed her blistering brace of tries against the UK Armed Forcus during the autumn will be familiar with Clay’s considerable workrate. “It is a big part of my game: the ability and the willingness to get around the park,” says the Osprey. “Fitness is a massive part of my game. I possibly focused on it a bit too much earlier in my career, just because it was my strength. Now I’ve been focusing more on the actual rugby, whilst still maintaining my fitness levels.”
It was only at the age of 20 that she properly took up the game, on the back of being a dab hand at several sports at school, including netball and athletics, but never truly focusing on one thing. “I played for Barry to begin with, then moved to Pencoed in order to play at a higher level. I actually didn’t make the cut twice at trials for Ospreys, but then ended up getting spotted in a Talent ID day with Wales.”
And so it happened that the athletically-gifted Clay ended up being capped for Wales Women Sevens before she’d even played a game of regional rugby. “It was unbelievable. I probably didn’t even know sevens existed before, and all of a sudden I was thinking, ‘what is all this space? What do I do?’”
It was in the abbreviated version of the game that her prodigious workrate and fitness came to the fore. “I didn’t know that I had a particularly strong workrate up until that point, and I definitely didn’t think it would become apparent stepping up to such a high level,” she recalls. “I’m just really keen to do everything 100 per cent, and one of my faults is probably getting frustrated when I don’t.”
In keeping with her penchant for hard graft, she namechecks the likes of Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty as players who inspire her, but it’s one of her teammates who regularly gives her pause for thought. “Rachel Taylor’s workrate and physicality is something to aspire,” Clay says of the openside flanker and former captain from North Wales. “So much of what she does is impactful, which is exactly what you want. My aim is to continue to hit as many rucks as I do, but to make more impact in them. Being where I’m meant to be and knowing where I’m meant to be is a big focus, but you get that wisdom through experience.”
Clay’s day job is an interesting one, working as a Junior Games Designer for a company which makes gaming machines for pubs, arcades and casinos. “The directors will come up with a vague idea of what they want a game to do, and we’ll look at it to see if it is functional and enjoyable for players, and then write up a spec which goes to a graphic and software department, who are unbelievable. The whole process is complex, but very enjoyable.”
Also enjoyable for Clay was the opening round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations, in which she finally achieved her goal of a capped start. “It was nerve-wracking, but things worked out really well for us in that game,” she says. Wales Women controlled the game well to take a well-earned 20-8 victory. “Our lineouts were strong, and an area of our game which I’ve been more involved in recently.”
Wales Women take on their Scottish counterparts at Broadwood Stadium tonight. She knows what her side need to do to come away with a good result: “A massive thing for us against Scotland is our set-piece. It’s where we start our play from, and winning those will be crucial for us. They had a fairly heavy defeat against France, so we’re in the same boat coming off the back of that England result.”
In closing, she says firmly: “I think it’s time to show what we can do. Everybody’s come out of the last match with a positive attitude, which we need to have. We lost, but we know where we need to be now and I think a lot of that will be achieved through physicality – looking at people like Rachel Taylor and the impact she has and thinking, ‘Right, I want to do that next’. You need to get the first big hit in, then make sure you’re set for the next one.”
Wales Women v Scotland Women (18:20) will be streamed live on the Women’s Six Nations Facebook and YouTube page.
Tickets for Wales Women v Ireland Women at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday 11th March (11:30) are now available here.
