Wales scrum-half Lloyd Williams insists the upcoming tour to Japan offers him a great chance to stake a claim for a regular run in the No.9 jersey while Mike Phillips is away with the British and Irish Lions.
The 23-year-old will battle it out with Tavis Knoyle for the starting role when the first Test gets underway on June 8, with 15 Welsh players absent due to their involvement with Warren Gatland’s Lions.
And Williams, who made substitute appearances in all five of Wales’ RBS 6 Nations fixtures, is relishing the chance to prove what he can do in Phillips’ absence.
“We’ve been given a huge opportunity to show how well we can perform in Japan,” Williams told Wales Online. “With Mike [Phillips] away, me and Tavis [Knoyle] are going on tour looking for some serious game-time.
“It will be really competitive between us but whoever gets the nine jersey will be desperate to keep it.
“Robin [McBryde] has alluded a lot to the fact that there are 15 boys away with the Lions. So this is a massive opportunity for us to express ourselves and show what we can do – especially with places in the autumn squad up for grabs.”
