20 Questions: Ethan Davies – Wales Sevens

Enjoying the break after thye opening two events in Wellington and Sydney?
I’m just about over the jet-lag! We’ve started training again but luckily we’re off to Las Vegas next week so no time for a mini pre-season this time.
It’s your second year on the circuit?
It’s my first year as a full-time member of the squad but I played in nine of the ten tournaments last season which was great.
What was your Sevens experience before that?
I didn’t play that much and I never thought I’d be that good at it. I was asked to play for the development team around Christmas in 2015 and it went from there.
Next career step?
With Sevens being in the Olympics, you’d be silly not to target that. So representing Team GB in Tokyo in 2020 has be my target for the next three years.
Where were you playing before?
I played for Cross Keys. I played a couple of games for them this season. It was good to keep up my match sharpness before the World Series started in December.
Playing in the half-backs?
I played fly-half or full-back in 15s so the transition was pretty smooth. I try to pull the strings but it means training hard under huge fatigue to make sure I still make the right decisions at the end of games.
Started with a bang in Dubai, didn’t you?
The first tournament couldn’t have gone any better for me and I ended up being named in the tournament’s Dream Team.
So how do you get over the jet lag?
We’ve got coaches who did research about it so they try to advise us on when to sleep or not. We try to go for walks as a team to stay awake which can be funny when it’s in the middle of the night.
What do you make of Wales‘ campaign so far?
We’ve become a tight bunch living on the “Teulu” ethos – it means family in Welsh. We’re not world-beaters just yet but we’ve played in three quarter-finals so far, so we’re on the right path.
What about that Pool win against Fiji in Sydney?
It was a great step in the right direction and a credit to all the hard work we’ve done in training. Now it’s just a case of maintaining that level of performance in game after game.
It must have been disappointing to finish seventh after that?
We went through the Pools unbeaten but we ended up losing both games on day two against Australia and the USA.
How do you become world-beaters?
Consistency is key in Sevens but we also now know that we can beat Fiji and teams at the top of the table. We’ll remember that next time we play one of them.
What do you expect in Las Vegas?
We’ll have some confidence going into it even if we have a tough Pool with series leaders South Africa, France and Canada. We’ll try to do our best and hope luck go our way.
Luck seems to play a big part in Sevens, is it frustrating at times?
Massively! Sometimes the difference between winning or losing can be down to a single missed tackle, the bounce of the ball, an offload sticking or going to the floor.
Best placed visited so far?
Cape Town was an amazing experience. Walking out to take on South Africa in front of 55,000 fans was mental. I remember seeing two Welsh flags in the corner which turned out to be my mum and dad.
If not rugby, what would you be doing?
I had this conversation with my girlfriend the other day and I couldn’t give her an answer. I always wanted to be a rugby player but coaching might have been a good alternative.
Favourite cheat meal?
I eat well but I usually have a couple of days after a tournament where I enjoy a pizza or a kebab.
Three special dinner guests?
Two rugby legends in Gavin Henson and Jonny Wilkinson, plus I’m a real fan of UFC star Conor McGregor.
Best and worst banter in the squad?
Owen Jenkins is pretty good but Sam Cross is the worst.
Best and worst dressed?
This is my chance to get back at Sam for always ripping into me so I’ll give him worst again. Luke Morgan is the best though.