Ellis Mee: New Wales wing reflects on rapid rise to international rugby

It has always been Wales for Mee with his heroes including Liam Williams and Shane Williams.

His Welsh connections are his mother Karen, who hails from his Newport, while he admits his main rugby influence was his father Tony, who died in 2022.

Mee, who is the middle of three brothers alongside Connor and Evan, wrote on his social media after the game: “This one was for you Dad.”

“He would have loved it,” said Mee.

“It would have been surreal for him as well as me.

“It was my dad mainly who got me into rugby. He always played rugby, watched rugby on television and then every weekend basically I went to watch him and also my brothers play.

“My mum’s Welsh, so she dominates things. My mother’s influence is very strong and she was a big influence on my dad.

“I was a Wales fan with my dad taking me to the games in Cardiff. I’d always watch Welsh teams and been to more Wales games than English ones.”

Mee’s family were at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to witness him fulfil his dream.

“My mum was shaking the whole time, she was nervous, but once the final whistle blew she was all good,” said Mee.