Wales prop Samson Lee has dominated a late push for a World Cup place regardless of a profitable return from 14 months out of the sport.
Lee, capped 45 occasions, made a 40-minute cameo for part-timers Llandovery within the Welsh Premiership on Saturday.
The tight-head prop had not performed since a career-threatening Achilles damage with Scarlets in March 2022.
Nevertheless, the 30-year-old says it’s nonetheless his “dream” to play for Wales as he plots his approach again into the sport.
When naming his prolonged 54-man World Cup coaching squad this month for autumn’s event in France, Wales head coach Warren Gatland admitted bettering the tight 5 was a precedence.
Nevertheless Lee, a starter for Gatland on the 2015 World Cup, is aware of time is towards him.
“I am not going to have sufficient time to get match match or wherever close to the place I have to be for the World Cup,” he stated.
“It is nonetheless my dream to play for my nation and if the decision got here, I clearly would not flip it down, however I do not suppose that is my time.”
It took simply two minutes for the worldwide to make an impression on Llandovery’s Premiership sport towards Newport, profitable a penalty within the sport’s first scrum.
He was changed at half-time and Llandovery went on to lose 52-33 at Rodney Parade. Nevertheless Lee was content material.
“It was all the time the plan to only get some sport time and 40 minutes was sufficient. The lungs have been blowing a bit, however it was simply nice to be enjoying once more,” he stated.
Lee was as soon as hailed a “as soon as in a era” prop by predecessor and British & Irish Lion Adam Jones.
At 30, he needs to be reaching his peak as a tight-head. Nevertheless, accidents have hampered his profession, which he feared might be over when he ruptured his Achilles tendon whereas in South Africa with Scarlets.
“It has been difficult over the past 14 months, numerous ups and downs however I simply targeting what I needed to do,” stated Jones.
“For a tighthead prop to snap their Achilles, there may be all the time the prospect they will not return as a result of quite a lot of weight goes by means of that space.
“However I demanded of myself to get again on the market and I had nice assist from the Scarlets. My physio needed to put up with quite a lot of moaning.
“Now I am simply trying ahead to no matter comes sooner or later for Scarlets and no matter else.
“I’ll spend the summer season constructing for subsequent season to be prepared to start out and get as a lot sport time as doable and, hopefully, give myself an opportunity for Wales once more.”
Whether or not Lee runs out once more for Llandovery of their play-off semi-final towards Merthyr on Sunday will probably be determined this week by Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel.