Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel is full of praise for the way his “old school” captain Josh Macleod has battled back from his latest injury setback.
Having fully recovered from the serious knee issue he suffered in January, the back-rower has started seven of the Scarlets’ last eight games and has really been making his mark.
Leading by example as captain, he’s demonstrated the all-action endeavour which has seen him called up by Wales in the past and is now resulting in him being mentioned as a squad contender once again.
Macleod has scored five tries in his last four outings and was player of the match in the EPCR Challenge Cup victory over Georgian side Black Lion last Sunday, when he touched down twice and made more tackles (24) than any other player in the competition.
“I am obviously delighted for him because I know he has invested a lot,” said Peel.
“It’s tough when a player is so committed to playing rugby and then he gets an injury and a long lay-off.
“You see him working so hard to get back and then it happens again, he has another injury.
“So getting him a run of games and this form he has been in now has been great because I know how much it means to him to represent the Scarlets.
“From a leadership perspective, I’ve spoken a number of times about how important he is for us, both on and off the field.
“He’s really growing into that role. He demands high standards of people around him and he also demands high standards of himself. He works bloody hard.
“As a player, it’s his intensity around stuff that’s probably the biggest thing for me. He is an all-in player. That’s probably part of why he picks up a few bumps. He’s all-in with everything he does.
“He’s tough around the breakdown, there’s his tackle work and things like hitting mauls and disrupting mauls, he’s all-in. He’s a great example for players in how he’s wholly committed.
“He’s probably a bit of an old school forward in many ways. He’s got that hard edge about him, which is great.
“I am delighted with the way he is going and delighted for him. It’s great for us as a group to have him on this form and hopefully long may it continue.”