Max Llewellyn aims to trouble the All Blacks with Sonny Bill-style offloads
Max Llewellyn is poised to start at inside centre when Wales host New Zealand in Cardiff in the Nations Championship on Saturday, kick-off 14:10 GMT.
The 27-year-old Gloucester back stands 6ft 6in, which makes him a big figure for a shirt usually worn by a more direct runner. The inside centre, the No 12, sits between the forwards and the wingers. The job is to link the attack, take the hit and make the decisive pass.
Llewellyn grew up watching New Zealand's double World Cup-winning side, featuring Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Ma'a Nonu, Sam Whitelock and Kieran Read. The player he most wanted to copy was Sonny Bill Williams. Llewellyn said Williams changed the game by bringing the offload into rugby, and he hopes to give the All Blacks problems in the same way. An offload is a pass made while a player is being tackled, or just after, to keep the ball moving when a clean run is blocked.
New Zealand have a long record over Wales. Wales have lost 34 successive matches against them, a streak dating back to 1953. Llewellyn has beaten them before, with Wales at the 2019 Under-20 Championship in Argentina. His father, Gareth, played second row for Wales in the 2004 defeat to New Zealand, which was lost by a single point.
Wales beat Japan 28-21 last weekend. It was the first time Llewellyn had been paired with Scarlets centre Eddie James, who is 6ft 4in. It was also the sixth different centre partnership that Wales coach Steve Tandy has used. Llewellyn's only previous start at inside centre for Wales came against England in a World Cup warm-up in August 2023.
He has worn the No 12 shirt only once for Gloucester this season. Llewellyn sees inside centre as his long-term position, and Saturday is a chance to show why he believes that.
