Nigel Davies believes Macs Page will win his first Wales cap “sooner rather than later”, after his late call-up to Steve Tandy’s squad.
Page has been called in to replace injured Dragons wing Rio Dyer, less than a fortnight after he missed out on the original 39-man squad.
The Scarlets director of rugby said the call-up was “fully deserved”. “He’s a special player, and I think we will see him play for Wales sooner rather than later, personally,” he said.
Macs Page could make his Wales debut against Japan
Wales open their Nations Championship campaign against Japan at Principality Stadium on Saturday 7 November (4.40pm), before facing New Zealand and Australia on the following two weekends.
Page toured Japan with Wales in 2025, but is still waiting for his first cap.
The 21-year-old has scored five tries this season, three in the URC and two in the Challenge Cup, including a double on his 50th appearance against Newcastle.
Cape Town head knock ‘wasn’t as bad as it looked’
Page sat out the 54-26 defeat to the Bulls in Pretoria after taking a blow to the head the week before.
He landed head-first on the turf as he went for a second try of the afternoon in the 52-40 defeat to the Stormers, and was helped off with oxygen.
Davies said it looked worse than it was. “Macs did have a nasty knock, but it wasn’t as bad as it looked when he left the pitch with two guys holding his neck,” he said.
He added: “That was just protocol which had to happen. He has been managed very well.”
Page did some light training in South Africa before flying home to join up with Wales, and Davies said he “was feeling fine”.
‘Positive selection dilemmas’ for Steve Tandy in the back three
Page joins Scarlets team-mates Blair Murray and Ellis Mee among Tandy’s back-three options.
Louis Rees-Zammit, the Ospreys’ Tom Rogers, Josh Adams and Gabriel Hamer-Webb are also in the mix.
Davies said Wales have “quite a few positive selection dilemmas where more than one or two players are putting their hands up”.
He said: “I think that’s a really positive position to be in. They initially selected the players who fit their profile, but Macs couldn’t have been too far away.”
It is the second time in a fortnight Davies has backed Page for Wales, after he said it was “a matter of when, not if” when the wing was first left out.
Why the wing suits Macs Page
Davies, who has called Page “probably the first name on the team sheet”, said he has learned to cope with more attention from opponents.
He said: “Macs burst onto the scene, and, invariably, when you get a bit of a name, you are marked a little better and managed differently by the opposition. It’s about players finding their feet in that environment, and that’s what he’s been able to do.”
The Crymych product broke through at outside centre, but Davies says the wing gets the best out of him. “Playing on the wing, where he is freed up a little bit right throughout the pitch, makes the most of his ability,” he said.
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