“While I’m still playing rugby I feel I can add something at this level. I’m still very competitive, and no doubt that competitive nature has driven me back here. I still feel when I play my best rugby I can play very well at this level and help run this camp, especially when you look around and realize the amount of changes that have happened in the last 18 months. “

Wales have won a Test match since the 37-capped Anscombe last played and a loss against Fiji would equal an all-time low of 10 successive defeats set in 2002 and 2003. “There is a lot of talent here, without doubt,” added Anscombe. “I’ve found at this level that when you can get a little bit of momentum and a sense of belief, it’s amazing how far you can go.

“It’s tough when you have some close defeats – it eats away at you in a way – but I think if we can do more things right in the next few weeks then we’re definitely capable of getting some wins.

“We talked about it as a group about not settling for just putting in a decent performance to get us close. It’s time to put our hands up and say we’ve got to win some Tests and this group is starting to understand that.”

If, as expected, Anscombe returns on Sunday, it will be a testament to his mental and physical recovery powers. He still has a lot to offer at the highest level, with his experience crucial in a squad currently thin on caps and mileage on the clock. “The nature of the injuries we had were quite significant,” Anscombe said.

“I’ve always had to work pretty hard to get where I need to be physically. I’m hoping that by playing week in week out and staying injury free, I can get my fitness back. If you want to continue playing, you have to find a way to get back.

“I’ve learned that I have to be really smart and diligent about my week. You can’t just train for the sake of it, you have to make sure you’re getting real quality over quantity. I probably learned that in the last six months.”

Anscombe and his family are now based in Cheltenham and life is good as part of the Gloucester set-up, where the focus is on attacking and goal rugby. “To play most of the games and get some minutes, I’ve really enjoyed it and hopefully in the next block of games I can start to build a real run of consistent performances,” he said.

“I really liked it. It was quite a refreshing move for me and my family, especially since I had another season without playing rugby. I’ve always wanted to test myself in the Premiership and the support we get at Kingsholm is amazing. It’s a privilege to be a part of it.”