WRU Audio: Jamie Roberts discusses facing Scotland
Roberts is in the third year of his medicine degree at Cardiff University but has put his studies on hold after his surprise Wales call-up for the RBS Six Nations. Now he aims to show surgical precision on the wing to boost the next step in the Dragons’ Championship bid at the Millennium Stadium.
The 21-year-old medical student said: “I’ve been allowed to study for the rest of my degree on a part-time basis but right now all I can think about is playing for Wales. It’s an important year in my studies but the University has been awesome and thankfully I’ve been given eight weeks off for the Six Nations. I’ve also been allowed to postpone my exams until July, rather than sit them in April, so I can put the off the revision for a while. Right now I’m just excited about Saturday.”
Roberts is not the first player to combine rugby with medical studies after Argentina fly-half Felipe Contepomi qualified as a doctor after completing his studies in Dublin last summer. Now the Cardiff Blues wing will step out of the lecture theatre and into the Millennium Stadium couldron after getting the nod to face Scotland ahead of veteran Mark Jones.
Roberts added: “Contepomi is a great player and someone I’ve looked up to because he has a medical degree too. If I can achieve half of what he has achieved, I’ll be happy. At the start of the season I could only have dreamed of playing for Wales and to be named in the side is surreal. It’s such a surprise. I’ve only been to the Millennium Stadium as a fan. I usually watch the games with my mates in my local pub so I’ll have stick some money behind the bar for them instead.”
Roberts is one of three changes to the first Welsh side to win at Twickenham for twenty years on Saturday as coach Warren Gatland stamps his authority on his squad. Despite the win, tough-talking Kiwi Gatland axed Jones, Sonny Parker and Alix Popham while Alun-Wyn Jones is out injured.
Tom Shanklin starts in midfield alongside Gavin Henson, second-row Ian Evans starts and Gloucester’s Gareth Delve is on the bench for Popham. Gatland said: “The lads were a bit surprised at how critical we have been since beating England. It would be easy to pat ourselves on the back after winning but we know from the first-half performance that we have a lot to work on. Scotland will be hurting and that makes them dangerous.”
Wales team to face Scotland: L Byrne; J Roberts, T Shanklin, G Henson, S Williams; J Hook, M Phillips; D Jones, H Bennett, A Jones, I Gough, I Evans, J Thomas, R Jones (capt), M Williams Replacements: M Rees, G Jenkins, D Jones, G Delve, D Peel, S Jones, S Parker
