Dragons prop Chris Coleman hunting first Wales cap in Japan
The 26-year-old from Garndiffaith was last week selected as one of three tightheads in the 33-strong squad for the summer tour.
It was reward for another strong campaign in which he played in 19 of 22 games, with 15 of them as a starter.
Coleman established himself as first choice on the right-hand side of the front row after the retirements of Leon Brown and Lloyd Fairbrother, plus injuries to Dmitri Arhip and Luke Yendle.
He racked up the minutes and, after returning from the Dragons' double-header in South Africa against the Stormers and Bulls, was ready to clock off for the summer when he got a pleasant surprise on squad announcement day.
REWARD: Dragons prop Chris Coleman has been named in Wales' summer squad (Image: Gareth Everett)
'I was in the house on my own, went on my email and one had already been there for around half an hour,' said Coleman, who made his Dragons debut in 2018.
'It said congratulations on making the 33-man squad, I thought it might have been someone having me on and but on the CC list you could see the others that it had been sent to.
'I realised it must be true and rang my dad, mum and girlfriend to tell them all before the announcement. It was a nice moment for the family.'
Coleman has already taken part in the optional sessions for those not involved in play-off games; working up a sweat at the Vale Resort rather than soaking up the sun on the Aegean Sea.
He said: 'I'd booked a cruise to the Greek islands for my girlfriend's 30th, she was happy that I had got in the squad but it caused her a lot of stress trying to sell it! I'll have to rebook it.'
Coleman will hope to go on holiday as a Wales international by featuring on the two-Test tour, with clashes against the Brave Blossoms on July 5 and 12.
He will work closely with legendary former Wales and Lions tighthead Adam Jones plus ex-Dragons forwards coach Danny Wilson, a man who is notorious for his detail at the set piece.
'Adam Jones is a legend of the game and one of the best props that there has ever been, so I am looking forward to working with him and so many others,' said Coleman.
'I'm excited about what camp will be like and I'll try to take it in my stride, work hard and show my best rugby. I definitely want to push on and get that first cap, I don't want to just come in and train.'
SELECTED: Chris Coleman will join Dragons teammate Aaron Wainwright in the Wales squad (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
He will have stiff competition for the 3 jersey next season from Wales international Dillon Lewis and South African Robert Hunt, whose arrival from the Cheetahs is yet to be confirmed.
Coleman has taken his tally of Dragons appearances up to 81 – more than Brown managed – and has totted up 16, 20, 12 and 19 outings in the last four campaigns.
Time in the middle has served him well and put him in with a chance of playing for his country.
'I've been aiming for this since I was young and there has been a lot of hard work to get to this point,' he said.
'At times it has been a tough slog but I always enjoy my rugby at the Dragons, and feel there is a lot more to come from me when I come back for next season.
🏴 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙤 𝙞'𝙧 𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙛𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣 🙌
💥 A look at him in action for @dragonsrfc👇#WelshRugby pic.twitter.com/ja0qWXwgC1 — Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) May 28, 2025
'Others have been unlucky with injury but that has almost been a good thing for me – I have played a lot of games and I have never seen that as a burden.
'I've had the opportunities to play and that is the best way to learn, so I want to keep getting the games in.
'There are definitely plenty of hard times as a prop – especially with the South African teams in the league now – and I am still relatively young.
'I am looking forward to the summer but also coming back to try and kick on personally and as a team to get some results.'
And Coleman would love to be part of a 23-man squad that ends Wales' Test losing streak at Mikuni World Stadium in Kitakyushu.
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