Not only does the bustling 21-year-old share the name of a Welsh legend but coach Paul Moriaty believed he was ready to inherit the mantle of the great Gibbs ahead of his first test start against Argentina in the autumn. 

However, things did not go according to script when Davies’ error handed Martin Rodriguez the Pumas only try of the match. 

But Nigel Davies believes his young charge has the strength of character to bounce back from the setback. 

“Jonathan is not Scott Gibbs,” he said. “He is a different type of player and it is not fair to compare them right at the start of this career.

“Scott achieved a hell of a lot in his career and really was a one-off for Welsh rugby. 

“Jonathan now needs a bit of breathing space to develop his own game but I have no doubt he will put his disappointment about the mistake against Argentina behind him. 

“That kick will stand out in the game but if you break down his game in detail you will find he did a lot of things very well.

“It can be very difficult to instantly form a midfield combination – that sort of understanding takes time. 

“I know he can do a lot more and with some more experience under his belt he is going to become a tremendous player. He has got everything you need from an international centre and he is only going to get better.” 

Centre Davies is just one of a number of exciting young players being brought through at Parc y Scarlets which recently celebrated its first birthday. 

But the twelve months that have passed since the Scarlets abandoned their 130-year-old home Stradey Park has been far from plain sailing with Nigel Davies stamping his own mark on the club. 

Yet with the Scarlets winning two from two so far in the Heineken Cup, the former Welsh assistant coach is adamant the pain of the transition has been worth the price. 

He added: “It has been a quite traumatic year or so. There has been a lot of change and people have had to change as well but we have done what we have had to do. 

“We suffered the affects of those changes last season but this season you are starting to see the benefits now. 

“This is the start of something special. There is a good blend of experienced players and some very exciting younger players who want to follow Jonathan Davies into the Welsh team. 

“The likes of Ken Owen get an opportunity because I think they are very close to getting a call-up. 

“We have given ourselves a great opportunity to progress to the Heineken Cup knockout stages and playing in games like that will be invaluable for their development.”