Welsh Rugby
Shingler turns sights to Wales
ESPN Staff
July 17, 2012
London Irish's Steven Shingler looks to spread the ball, Edinburgh v London Irish, Heineken Cup, Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland, January 22, 2012
Steve Shingler is now keen on turning out for Wales after originally pushing to play for Scotland © Getty Images
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London Irish back Steve Shingler has turned his focus to breaking into the Wales squad after finding himself unable to play for Scotland.

Shingler was at the centre of a tussle between Wales and Scotland after he was named in Andy Robinson's squad for the Six Nations. Shingler had already turned out for Wales U21s in a match that tied him to that nation which the IRB deemed sufficient to prevent him from turning out for anyone else.

But with his dreams of playing for Scotland over, Shingler has claimed he was "naive" in turning his back on Wales.

"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," Shingler told Wales Online. "I made a decision early on 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 and realising how it all went 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 and it was one of those things.

"Obviously it's different when all this is out in front of me I can obviously say it was the wrong decision to make but that's the way it goes. I was brought up in a Welsh shirt and that's where I hope to be heading."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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