One of the most under-rated member of the Welsh squad, Shanklin is as reliable as the day is long and must stand a chance of snatching a Test berth after his Six Nations performances.

Of course, Shanklin suffers from playing in the same position as captain Brian O'Driscoll but some pundits - former Lions player and coach Jim Telfer included - reckon the two would make an excellent partnership by interchanging between inside and outside centre in different phases of play.

Shanklin spent the Six Nations living in the shadow of another of his centre partners - Gavin Henson - yet while he does not possess the kicking ability of the Ospreys man there is certainly a case to make for his all-round game being better.

The son of Jim Shanklin, who won four Wales caps in the late 1960s, 25-year-old Tom burst onto the international scene with a two-try debut against Japan in 2001 having shone at all levels from Under-19 upwards.

Yet his talent went unfulfilled as he was shifted around the backline from wing to centre and back again and the emergence of Sonny Parker left him kicking his heels and mainly used as a 'super-sub'.

But Shanklin forced his way back into his favoured centre position and must now - finally - be regarded as Wales' first choice at 13 where the excellent angles and timing of his runs have seen him cross for 15 tries at an average of just under one every two games.

The Cardiff man is also strong defensively and it would be no surprise if Woodward turned to him when the nitty gritty of the Test matches is upon us.