LONG READ Sam Davies: 'In Wales every mistake I made was put under the magnifying glass'

On Saturday, Grenoble will play their third ProD2 final in as many seasons, and Sam Davies, their rejuvenated Welsh talisman, will hope to celebrate his 50^th appearance with the long-awaited promotion the Alps-based club craves.

Davies arrived from the Dragons in 2023 and quickly ascended to the role of playmaker, leader and the tactical mastermind behind Grenoble’s impressive league form, amassing 480 points in his 49 matches.

The Grenoble coaches pushed the fly-half to believe in his skills, allowing him to find his feet without trying to take full control of his decision-making. After a trying time in Wales, he has rediscovered his zest for the game.

“I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I have been reborn, but rather that I found the spark again,” Davies tells RugbyPass.

“I feel appreciated and respected. I think I’ve been playing some of my best rugby. I feel I have been unshackled. I am now allowed to make mistakes without someone immediately putting me back in my place. Grenoble allowed me to follow my instincts, while in Wales every mistake I made was put under the magnifying glass.

“It was a complete change of pace. The Grenoble staff try to value the positives more than the negatives. It pushes us to be better individuals and team players.

“I have enjoyed being part of this journey, and hopefully we will be lifting the ProD2 title come Saturday.”

It’s a skill I kind of learned from Dan Biggar while growing up, seeing him put his kicks up and then sprinting to catch them. Most ProD2 teams target the 10 to drain their energy.

For 31-year-old Davies, who had spent his entire professional career in Wales, playing for the Ospreys and Dragons, leaving it all behind was one of the biggest challenges of his life. So comfortable are he and his wife in France, that the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Vienna, three months ago.

“It has been such a special moment in our lives. My daughter has already come to two of the games, and she will be at the final, even if she doesn’t understand what is happening around her. It is an indescribable feeling having her here and sharing these memories with us.

“We were welcomed by the best of people, and it was easy for us to embrace a new culture and language and become part of this whole Grenoble environment.”

In the past ten months, the eight-cap international bagged two tries, fifteen assists and five drop goals, and is perceived as one of the main threats in the French second tier.

“I’m now more familiar with the league and how the teams operate,” he says. “Our attack has improved, and we risk a bit more.

“I have to recognise how our forward pack contributed to that end, as they have been involved in that effort as well. We have threats everywhere, and that’s why we are in a better place at the moment.”

On the same weekend Grenoble saw off Provence with the help of a Davies drop-goal, Brive were stunned by the ultimate ProD2 underdogs, Montauban. Courtney Lawes, Ross Moriarty, Curwin Bosch and their other heavyweights came a cropper 29-13. Davies’ final opponents survived relegation by the skin of their teeth in 2024 and, like Grenoble, now stand on the precipice of the Top 14.

“Where else would you get that?” says Davies “It looks almost like what Leicester City did in the 2016 Premier League. They came out from finishing second to last, avoiding dropping to the Nationale to mount a spectacular run, beating Colomiers and Brive to reach the final. That’s no small feat. We are fully focused on us, but you have to respect what they have managed to accomplish. Unfortunately for them, we have to put an end to it!”

With Montauban’s victory making waves in France, Davies acknowledges their substantial threats and breaks down how the final will be won.

I have learned so much since my last cap for Wales, and I do think I can bring knowledge and expertise to the squad.

“It will come down to the details, who concedes fewer pens and who keeps a tidy game. We need to be effective when we get inside Montauban’s half. We also have to use the game’s emotions in the right way, something we were unable to do in the final last year against Vannes.”

While in 2023 and 2024 Grenoble could be seen as the underdogs, they are now ProD2 favourites, having topped the league for the first time in twelve years.

The changes this season have been subtle. In Davies’ case, that has meant operating more in the backfield.

“We worked out a plan to put me in the back for a couple of reasons,” he says. “One, so I can better manage the game and guide the team. Second, to give me a better chance to compete in the aerial challenges. It’s a skill I kind of learned from Dan Biggar while growing up, seeing him put his kicks up and then sprinting to catch them. Most ProD2 teams target the 10 to drain their energy. By being ‘fresher’, I can impact the game in a different way.”

With Welsh rugby facing yet more uncertainty, and the national team reeling from a record run of defeats, Davies has not given up hope of adding to the caps he won in 2016 and 2017. Indeed, he feels there’s plenty he could bring to a callow squad short on seasoned internationals.

“Experience. I have learned so much since my last cap for Wales, and I do think I can bring knowledge and expertise to the squad.

“I have grown as a player, and I have experienced what is like to be on the top, and what’s liked to be on the bottom. I feel I could offer a lot to Wales. I would love to represent my country again, but I am happy where I am right now. It is up to them to understand if I can be of any value to the squad.”

Recently, Scotland have included ProD2 standouts Alex Masibaka and Ewan Johnson in their national squads, with former Vannes and Oyonnax giant Johnson winning his first caps over the past year. Excluding the retired George North, there are five Welshmen plying their trade in the division, although back-row Moriarty has just agreed a return to Wales with the Ospreys.

“Look how Scotland has delved into the Pro D2,” Davies goes on. “It shows they see it as a reliable league, calling some players to their squad. I think people don’t realise how competitive the league is, and that might be skewing their perception. And I’m not talking only about me, but also for the whole Welsh battalion playing here.”

For now, Davies’ sights are trained on Stade Ernest-Wallon, the iconic Toulouse venue for Saturday’s showpiece, and the opportunity to win his first senior trophy.

“It’s on my bucket list. I’ve never won a cup. I have been trying to take my mind off the game by just being with my family and allowing myself to enjoy their company. The work has been done, and now we just have to enjoy this final week without thinking too much about it.

It has been an absolute joy to be part of this rollercoaster, with all its ups and downs. I have developed as a player and human being.

“Until the trophy is in our hands, I won’t accept any compliments or congratulatory messages. I appreciate them, but nothing is done yet. We can’t conform to what we have done until this point, we have to come out of Toulouse as winners.”

With Saturday fast approaching, Davies can’t help but smile and feel like a young player again, with the whole French experience offering him a new opportunity to be happy. This journey has been truly special.

“Incroyable. That’s the word for what I feel. It has been an absolute joy to be part of this rollercoaster, with all its ups and downs. I have developed as a player and human being. It has been an adventure that has taught me so much, and I do hope I can make it even more special when Saturday comes.”

He departs with a final chant to fire up his fellow Grenoblois.

“Ici, Ici, Ici c’est Grenoble… Ici, Ici, Ici c’est Grenoble.”