Gareth Anscombe back in Wales with the Scarlets

Gareth Anscombe explains why he came back to Wales.

At 35, Gareth Anscombe has chosen to return to Wales. The fly-half, who joined the Scarlets this summer after one season at Bayonne, spoke this week to RugbyPass and Planet Rugby about the move.

A call from Dwayne Peel

“I felt like I still had another year left in me,” he explained, adding that he did not want to move his family too much with his children starting school. The approach came late in the season, from head coach Dwayne Peel. The length of his deal has not been made public. Competing for the No 10 shirt with Sam Costelow, Carwyn Leggatt-Jones and Joe Hawkins, he also sees himself in a supporting role and would like to look at coaching in the future.

From Cardiff to Llanelli

Born in Auckland and a former Chiefs player, Anscombe went on to play for Cardiff, the Ospreys, Suntory, Gloucester and Bayonne, where he made only five Top 14 appearances. Capped more than 40 times by Wales, he played all five matches of the 2019 Grand Slam, four of them as the starting fly-half. His last Test was against England on 15 March 2025. He started against Cardiff in the opening round of the URC and has two appearances for the Scarlets, who travel to the Bulls on Saturday.