Scarlets director of rugby Nigel Davies believes Macs Page is destined to earn his first Wales cap "sooner rather than later" after his late international call-up.

Page, who Davies previously highlighted as the first name on the Scarlets team sheet, has been called up to replace injured Dragons wing Rio Dyer.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed an impressive start to the 2026-27 season, scoring five tries, and will hope to shake off a head injury to earn his maiden cap.

Wales return to Nations Championship action next month, with home fixtures against Japan, New Zealand and Australia before meeting a southern hemisphere opponent on finals weekend at Twickenham.

"It's fully deserved. He's a special player, and I think we will see him play for Wales sooner rather than later, personally," said Davies.

"From a Welsh perspective, they have got quite a few positive selection dilemmas where more than one or two players are putting their hands up.

"I think that's a really positive position to be in. They initially selected the players who fit their profile, but Macs couldn't have been too far away."

Scarlets had tipped Page for a call-up earlier this season as the Dinas Cross youngster approaches fifty appearances for the region.

"Macs burst onto the scene, and, invariably, when you get a bit of a name, you are marked a little better and managed differently by the opposition," added Davies.

"It's about players finding their feet in that environment, and that's what he's been able to do.

"Playing on the wing, where he is freed up a little bit right throughout the pitch, makes the most of his ability."

Page previously toured Japan with Wales in 2025, and could debut against the Cherry Blossoms on Saturday, 7 November after avoiding a serious injury.

The Crymych RFC product, who broke through at outside centre, collided head-first with the turf when attempting to score his sixth try of the campaign in Scarlets' 52-40 defeat by Stormers last weekend.

He was helped from the pitch with oxygen in Cape Town but returned to light training before leaving South Africa to join Wales.

"Macs did have a nasty knock, but it wasn't as bad as it looked when he left the pitch with two guys holding his neck," Davies said.

"That was just protocol which had to happen. He has been managed very well. He did a bit of light training before he left, and he was feeling fine."

Page has joined Scarlets team-mates Blair Murray and Ellis Mee as a back-three option for Steve Tandy, alongside Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Rogers, Josh Adams and Gabriel Hamer-Webb.

He is one of eight Wales players who will miss Scarlets United Rugby Championship (URC) game at Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Davies largely sees that as a positive, with developing players for the national team being one of three measures of success at the club.

Welsh-qualified Isaac Murray-Macgregor will make his first start against Bulls, who are unbeaten at home this season.

"I tell our coaches all the time that our job is to perform, to win games and develop Welsh international rugby players," said Davies.

"You have to be very mindful of the balance of your squad. When you have seven or eight players going into the Wales camp, it has an effect.

A former Wales coach himself, the 61-year-old added: "It gives opportunities to the other guys, and the way everybody responded last week was pretty much fantastic.

"Yes, we've pretty much got a full backline missing, but we've also got a competent backline here who are more than competitive."

Fly-half Sam Costelow's involvement with Wales opens the door for teenager Carwyn Leggatt-Jones to start a second consecutive fixture in South Africa.

The 18-year-old converted five times during his first start of the campaign against Stormers and retains his place at number 10 against Bulls on the weekend.

Davies is confident that the Wales under-20 international will only improve by being exposed to the "daunting" South African atmosphere.

"Carwyn is great. I haven't seen a 10 come through like him in a few years. He's very confident in his own ability, which is brilliant," he said.

"He doesn't carry much anxiety and has a lot of belief in himself, which you need to have in his position.

"He [led the team] with aplomb [against Stormers]. Those experiences are only going to improve him. It's how these young men get better."