Speaking at the launch of the tournament in Dublin, Davies, who has 74 caps to his name, is looking forward to the campaign and can’t wait to get going against Scotland at Cardiff in 11 days’ time.
“It’s an honour to be part of another Six Nations squad and be part of a great tournament and I’m really looking forward to it, said Davies
“I played my first one back in 2016 so it has been a while since then.
“I was one of the youngsters and ten years down the line I never thought I would be saying that I am the oldest in the squad.
“I don’t really know what to think about it, but I still feel pretty good, still feel young and fit and am looking forward to getting stuck in.
“It was a tough period for me 18-months ago, I wasn’t having much of a look in. As soon as Warren Gatland took over, it got me really excited.
“I always had the 2023 World Cup in the back of my mind, but I wasn’t having much luck with selection.
“To see the likes of Kingy [Alex King] and Mike Forshaw and the other coaches coming in made me think this is my opportunity to get back into a Welsh Jersey.
“I worked hard during the summer in the lead-up to the World Cup and to nail down that number nine shirt was something to be proud of.
“We lost a lot of big names in the likes of Dan Biggar and Liam Williams, but I really like the look of this squad. We have some exciting talent and a bit of experience as well. It is a nice blend, and hopefully, we can come up to speed quickly.”
Given the youth of the squad, with an average of 25, Davies now has a new role to play as a 33-year-old veteran of eight previous tournaments.
“We have many new faces and a bit of change, but I’m looking forward to it,” continued Davies.
“There’s no hiding that it’s been a tough couple of months for most regions. Coming to [play for] Wales has a completely different environment. Different coaches and different styles of play.
“When you take a handful of players from each region that have been playing well and bring them together into the national squad, you have a half-decent team.
“The likes of Cam [Winnett], Alex Mann and Mackenzie [Martin], they’ve all played some good stuff for Cardiff against some top teams [in the Champions Cup].
“We have two exciting players in Ioan Lloyd and Sam Costelow. I’ve played with Sam over the last couple of years with the Scarlets and Wales and he is a fantastic talent. He is only going to grow and is still a young man.
“It is the same with Ioan. He is only 21 years old. Both of them have a big career in front of them. Hopefully, they can settle into the international stage as quickly as they can.
“The first game of any tournament is massive and to have Scotland coming down to Cardiff with tickets all sold out will bring an amazing atmosphere. We will be preparing very hard for that game and hopefully, we can come away with a very important victory to start.
“To win the Grand Slam back in 2019 was an unbelievable experience for myself and then the championship in 2021 was amazing.
“I am coming towards the end of my international career and if I could be fortunate enough to win another championship it would be something to savour for sure.”
[Lead image: Welsh Rugby Union]
