Rugby World

“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made”

NICK TOMPKINS is as much a bundle of energy off the field as he is on it. The speed with which he talks is reminiscent of the turn of pace he demonstrates when exploiting a gap in the defensive line; his enthusiasm is as evident in conversation as when celebrating a try. There’s a real exuberance to all he does.

We opt for an elbow bump as a greeting in these times of coronavirus and decide to kick things off with his verdict on that try. It’s a few days after Wales’ 33-30 defeat by England at Twickenham when Tompkins launched the length-of-the-field move from the second-half kick-off that resulted in Justin Tipuric crossing the whitewash.

It’s been described as one of the great Six Nations tries, but the score at the forefront of Tompkins’s mind is the one he

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