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I want Rhiley and Harley to know their mum’s spirit ran beside me every step

Cardiff’s hopes of retaining Gabriel Hamer-Webb have become a focal point after the winger’s recent standout performances and mounting interest from Leicester Tigers. The Welsh-qualified 24-year-old continued his scoring streak by crossing the line in Cardiff’s 26-21 victory over Munster, further strengthening the Blue and Blacks’ push for the United Rugby Championship play-offs. This display at Arms Park followed his hat-trick against the Ospreys during Judgement Day at the Principality Stadium, highlighting his growing influence.

Since joining Cardiff on a short-term deal after departing Bath in November 2023, Hamer-Webb has quickly established himself as a key figure for the squad. With seven tries this season and eligibility for Wales through his Cardiff-born mother, he has drawn attention from across the border, particularly from Leicester Tigers, who are seeking a physical winger after previously considering Dragons’ Jared Rosser. Although no agreement has been reached, interest in Hamer-Webb has reportedly intensified following his recent hat-trick, but Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt remains optimistic about keeping him at the club.

“He is out of contract,” said Sherratt after the Munster match. “We’d like to keep him so we’re in those discussions. I’ll be honest, the change of ownership has probably delayed things. Nights like tonight help as well. Regardless of results, there’s a good group here and a good feeling. In the last two years, it’s not long since we were talking about having 12 training. We’ve changed training base mid-season, change of ownership, plenty of caps leave the club and new staff. This group have had every excuse to ease off. To be where we are at the moment, surrounded by good teams, is a massive credit to everyone involved in the club. There’s always been a good spirit here.”

If Hamer-Webb were to move to Leicester, he would still be eligible to play for Wales as he remains uncapped, meaning he is not subject to the 25-cap rule that restricts selection of overseas players. However, a switch to the English Premiership would make it more challenging for him to break into the Wales squad, given the competition from established back-three players like Josh Adams, Blair Murray, Tom Rogers, Ellis Mee, Rio Dyer, and Keelan Giles. Selection for Wales while playing in England would require Hamer-Webb to deliver performances that significantly surpass those of his Welsh-based counterparts.

“What I was most pleased for Gabe was backing up last week,” added Sherratt. “I wanted him to enjoy last week and you could see in the week he was buzzing. In my mind, I was going if he could go again. He more than matched it. He was amazing at the things that don’t require any talent, like getting up in the air. We put a stat up in the week, it’s a big marker of when Munster win games is their aerial dominance. When Munster lose games, they win four less contests a game. So we put a big emphasis with our back-three and our nines on kicking contestables and trying to win that area.”