Scarlets wing Macs Page was a surprise omission from Wales' autumn squad on Tuesday, but reports that he is Irish-qualified and could switch allegiances are wide of the mark.
Page's Form and Omission
The 21-year-old has been in fine form for the Scarlets this season, scoring four tries in as many matches. Having stepped up from the Welsh Premiership with Llandovery, Page's first year with the Scarlets resulted in a Wales call-up for the 2025 tour of Japan, though a senior cap eluded him.
A difficult second season as the Scarlets struggled knocked him back, but heading into this year, all the talk was about Page being ready to get back to his best. In the opening weeks, he has done that, consistently proving a handful for defences and helping the Scarlets to back-to-back victories in the last two weeks.
Irish Qualification Rumours Dismissed
Following reports that Page was Irish-qualified amid links to Munster, some on social media feared he could soon be lost to Wales head coach Steve Tandy. However, WalesOnline understands that reports of Page being Irish-qualified are completely wide of the mark.
Moreover, Tandy had been in contact with Page ahead of this squad announcement, suggesting he is on the national team's radar. In the end, Rio Dyer and Gabriel Hamer-Webb were given the nod instead.
Tandy's Selection Reasoning
While Dyer has a decent amount of experience at Test level, having broken through ahead of the 2023 World Cup, Tandy said that wasn't the reason behind his inclusion. "That's probably that's not why you'd make that decision," said Tandy. "It's on performance. Obviously there'll be parts on potential, but ultimately it's performance-based in in what we're looking for."
Tandy admitted he sees Page as a wing, rather than a centre, and while some close to him say he could be better as an outside centre, as a wing he's in the mix for Wales. It didn't happen this time, but Page won't be pulling on the green jersey of Ireland any time soon.
