Cardiff flanker James Botham is hoping to cement a spot in Wales’ back row after being named in the starting line-up for the second Test Match against Australia.
Botham returned to the national team during the 2024 Six Nations after a two year absence but suffered a knee injury in the opening-round against Scotland which ruled him out of the competition.
He played against South Africa at Twickenham and was named in the 34 player squad for the tour, sitting on the bench in the opening game before being selected in the starting XV for Saturday.
“I hadn't played for two years, and then came back in, and had the one game and got injured in that game,” he said.
“The hardest bit was knowing I’d done something in the game. It wasn't a case of knee injury and taken straight off. It was kind of a grumbling going on and then after the game, it was hard.
“To be back in and called in, I've just go to knuckle down and show what I'm made of, and it's up to me now, really.
“The coaches have called me back in, so I need to kind of cement myself now.
He will form a new back row partnership on Saturday with Tommy Reffell, Taine Plumtree after Aaron Wainwright was ruled out with injury, but it excited at the prospect of playing with Reffell and Plumtree.
“I have never played with Taine properly in that sense of starting with him, so can't wait to kind of see how that works out.
“Tommy is obviously great over the ball and makes life so much easier being in the back row. I'm really excited to see what happens on the weekend.”
Wales lost the opening Test Match against Australia, and Botham says Wales must be more clinical this time.
“At the end of the day, it's a new game. We've seen a bit what they're about.
“All we can do is take that, and work on ourselves as a team and then just try to be clinical and get rid of errors and then we should be in a good place.”
The 26-year-old is enjoying his time back in the Wales set up and the tour of Australia.
“It feels great to be part of the set up. I have been from the start of the South Africa game and then flying out here.
“The group of guys we've got, it's been amazing and the best tour I've ever been on. We're in a good place.”