Wales' exciting new call-up was discovered by club legend in unlikely place
Scarlets legend James Davies has been credited for identifying new Wales squad member Ellis Mee as a potential star of the future.
The former Wales backrower is recruitment and operations officer at the Scarlets and brought Mee to head coach Dwayne Peel's attention last season.
Davies had spotted Mee playing for Nottingham in the English Championship and with his Welsh qualification thought the wing would be a good fit for the Scarlets. Davies was also influential in the signing of Wales wing Blair Murray. Sign up to our Welsh rugby newsletter here.
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"When we scanned what was available last season we were excited about both Blair and Ellis," said Peel. "Ellis and Blair were under-the-radar signings.
"I've got to give credit to James Davies with us who initially made that spot and did a lot of homework and a lot of groundwork on both of those players. He, along with myself, had a look at bringing them in.
"Cubby is doing the recruitment for us and he's excellent in terms of having a great eye for the game. He's a real student of the game.
"He says 'look, I've seen this kid, he's Welsh-qualified and I think we should have a look at him'.
"We did a lot of work on him then and got Ellis down here to have a chat with him. It's a long process from start to finish.
"We loved his intent when we saw him play for Nottingham. He had a real intent about his game, he had a gliding game of running and you can see that come through now.
"He played a lot at 15 for Nottingham when we first saw him and he's been doing a good job for us this season. Fair play, James is obviously good at that and spends a lot of time on the laptop."
Mee's rise has been meteoric, from playing for Nottingham in the English Championship last season to a stint at Llandovery in Super Rygbi Cymru before impressing for the Scarlets. The 21-year-old was born in Nottingham but spent some time living in Adelaide in Australia as a child, and qualifies for Wales courtesy of his mother.
"It's unreal, it still hasn't set in," said Mee. "It came as a surprise, obviously there was stuff in the news, but I didn't think I was going to make it.
"It's very nerve-wracking, even now. It's just getting through it, getting my head down, getting along with the people around me and making it enjoyable.
"I've had a few words with them (Scarlets' Wales squad players). They've said it's intense and I'm expecting that to be honest.
"They've said they'll help me along the way and carry me through it so it should be good."
Growing up Mee revealed he looked up to Wales full-back Liam Williams who will be his team-mate over the next few months.
"The likes of Shane Williams and even Liam Williams," said Mee when asked who his rugby idols were growing up. "I'm only 21 so I've watched him on Lions tours and throughout his Wales career.
"He's been a massive inspiration."
What has stood out about Mee this season is his aerial skills and his ability to beat the first defenders. And Scarlets boss Peel believes his work in the air, coupled with his rugby intelligence, will stand him in good stead on the international circuit.
"Sometimes you see good athletes but it's the rugby nous they need to work on whereas he (Mee) had a rugby nous," said Peel. "That's what I liked about him.
"He could glide with the ball and he was making good decisions defensively and he could kick the ball. From a skill aspect he had a lot to offer and that's what I liked about him more than his athleticism.
"He's obviously a good athlete but he's got rugby ability and that's probably the reason why I haven't been overly surprised. I said at the start of the season having seen him in one or two sessions here his aerial work... he gets so high aerially he's like an AFL player sometimes.
"He's got that ability to get high. He's a bit like Freddie Steward for England who gets high and has the ability to hang in the air.
"That's what impressed me when he came here. He's got a good rugby brain on him.
"Obviously it will be a big step up for him but I'm delighted that he's had the opportunity."
