Steven Shingler feels he rushed Scotland decision

Published on 17/07/2012 00:00

STEVEN Shingler has admitted he was naïve when he accepted the call to play for Scotland last January and has now turned his attentions to earning a Test cap for Wales.

The 21-year-old London Irish player was at the centre of a tug of war between the two countries when Scotland coach Andy Robinson called him up for the RBS Six Nations, a year after Shingler had played for the Welsh Under-20s side. After a battle between the unions, the IRB ruled in May that the youngster was only eligible for Wales.

But Shingler revealed that after seeing Wales claim a third Grand Slam since 2005 this year – with his brother Aaron earning a first Test cap against the Scots – it was clear where his allegiances lay. “It was obviously a bit of a roller-coaster at the start and it kind of led on really with a few hearings and generally it didn’t go Scotland’s way,” said Shingler.

“I made a decision early when Andy Robinson offered me the chance to play international rugby. He told me ‘in about two weeks you’re going to start at 12’ and it was one of those, you can’t really turn it down.

“But in hindsight, after watching Wales win the Grand Slam, I had a chance to reflect on it a bit more. It was a long time ago and I feel like saying I was quite young and maybe naïve and didn’t really think it through too much. Andy phoned me up, he obviously knew I was Scottish and I hadn’t really considered it before then.

“It’s different when all this is in front of me. I can say it was the wrong decision but that’s the way it goes. I was brought up in a Welsh shirt and that’s where I hope to be heading.”

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