"It's surreal" - Rising Wales and Scarlets scrum half is competing against childhood hero Gareth Davies

Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.

Now, Hughes is competing against the 77-cap veteran for the No 9 Scarlets jersey, and Hughes has got the nod for the last three games. The 22-year-old has made good on his recent string of opportunities as he scored two tries in the Champions Cup against Pau and Northampton Saints, before then contributing to a memorable URC victory over Ulster Rugby last weekend.

“I have been asked a few times who I modelled my game on and, growing up, Gareth was the scrum-half I looked up to,” revealed the Tenby native. “The Scarlets was my home club. Watching the matches as a kid, I used to watch his game, so being able to go up against him is a real privilege.

“There are so many scrum-halves I could name that I have admired over the years, but he is definitely one that I based my game off. “It has been a bit surreal, training with him and going up against him, especially when I first started, but it’s been awesome going up against someone you idolised as a kid.

“It is even better to compete against him. As much as he is a great player who is still in great form, I want to take that jersey off him. To keep driving for that is big for me.”

Up until the last few weeks, Hughes has had to bide his time with Davies still delivering the goods as the first choice Scarlets scrum half at 35-years-old.

“Obviously, it’s been quite hard not getting too many chances,” he said. “I have been working hard in training but, as much as you learn in training, there is nothing like being out there in the starting team.

“I have had the opportunities now and have really enjoyed it. It’s been awesome. “I’m learning a lot. I know there is a lot to work on, but I’d rather be in those situations than sitting on the bench. Getting those consistent starts is good for me.”

Hughes took up rugby at a young age and scrum-half has always been his position. “When I was five or six, my dad was coach of Tenby Utd and took my year group on,” he explains. “He loved his rugby and brought us into that environment. I remember him telling me I don’t think you are going to be big enough to play anywhere else!”

At 5ft 8ins and 11st 7lbs, Hughes tends to be one of the smaller players out on the park, but he certainly makes his presence felt with his speed of deed and competitive edge. “I like to consider myself quite tenacious,” he says.

“I like to get stuck in and bring lots of energy on and off the ball and provide that spark. In modern rugby, for a nine, it is a fine balance, running with the ball and putting pressure on sides with the kicking game.”

Whilst the experience was invaluable for Hughes to run in scores in the Investec Champions Cup, the Scarlets finished bottom of Pool 4 and as a result will no longer feature in Europe this season. Whilst it was a tough break for the Llanelli side to be ousted at the group stage, Hughes believes that his team will take ample learnings from the opportunity to mix it up with some of the world's best clubs.

“I think the Champions Cup was good for us,” said the young scrum-half. “Playing against the best sides in Europe has only made us better as a team. Putting in good performances against the likes of Bordeaux, Bristol, Pau and Northampton gave us confidence. We have set standards and it is important we maintain them now.”

Next up for the Scarlets, it’s a league clash with Benetton Rugby in Treviso, which kicks off at 19:45 tonight in Italy.

Here are 5 quick facts about Scarlets scrum-half Archie Hughes you can use:

3. Wales U20 regular: Hughes earned 11 caps for Wales U20s, scoring 10 points at age-grade level.

5. Now challenging for No. 9 spot: In 2026 he’s been starting ahead of senior scrum-halves and contributing tries and strong performances in the URC.