Long before the latest bright young thing in Welsh rugby was even born, Michael Stipe sang: “That’s Mee in the corner. That’s Mee in the spotlight. . .
Well, almost. Apart from an extra “e”.
Had he thrown in the extra letter, he could have been talking about Ellis Mee, who was spotlighting in the left corner of the Principality Stadium, coming within a fingertip of scoring against Ireland last week.
Had he done so – with a conversion to follow to take the lead - then Wales might possibly have pulled the biggest shock in Six Nations history.
As it was, Mee was denied by a watchful TMO, but there was still more than enough in his debut for him to describe his first appearance for Wales as an "unreal experience".
The 21-year-old Scarlets winger, who had never previously played at any representative level, delivered a performance reminiscent of George North’s sensational debut over a decade ago.
Mee’s electrifying display was one of the highlights of an inspired Welsh performance, as they pushed the reigning Six Nations champions to their limits before ultimately falling to a 27-18 defeat.
Despite the loss, Wales, under interim head coach Matt Sherratt, showed a level of ambition and attacking flair that had been absent during their 14-game losing streak under Warren Gatland.
The Nottingham-born wing, whose mother Karen hails from Newport, was instrumental in Wales' resurgence, demonstrating blistering pace, powerful running, and elusive footwork.
He covered 69 metres from 13 carries, made two clean breaks, and beat six defenders.
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His work ethic and attacking angles evoked memories of North’s remarkable two-try debut against South Africa in 2010.
Mee came agonisingly close to capping his debut with a try in the 73rd minute when he powered towards the corner in a desperate bid to keep Wales in the contest.
However, after multiple reviews, the television match official confirmed that he had been held up just short of the line.
"It was close, very close. My first thought was I was in touch because I thought my feet were out, but looking back at the video, I could see my feet weren’t out, but I was that tiny bit short," said Mee, who joined Scarlets from Championship club Nottingham at the start of the season.
Mee’s journey to the international stage has been nothing short of remarkable. After spending his early years in Australia, he moved to England and played junior rugby for Keyworth and West Bridgford before joining Nottingham.
While studying sports science and management at Nottingham Trent University, he enjoyed a breakthrough 2023/24 season, winning ‘Coaches Player of the Year,’ ‘Players Player of the Year,’ and ‘Supporters Player of the Year’ awards.
READ MORE ON X: Ellis Mee Wales
His rapid development caught the attention of Scarlets, who secured his signature last summer.
Despite making only 10 appearances in the United Rugby Championship, Mee’s form was impossible to ignore.
When Sherratt took temporary charge of Wales ahead of the Six Nations, he wasted no time in handing Mee a starting spot against Ireland.
Mee's transition from club rugby to the Test arena has been meteoric, but he has taken every challenge in stride.
"It has gone so quickly since I started rugby. I only played Championship rugby (in England) a year ago, so to be able to pull on the Welsh shirt was an unbelievable feeling," Mee reflected.
Although born in Nottingham, Mee always had aspirations of representing Wales.
His late father, Tony, was a key figure in introducing him to rugby, and his mother’s Welsh roots played a significant role in shaping his passion for the game.
"I would always watch Welsh teams, and I have been to more Wales games than English games. My mum is Welsh, so she dominates it!" Mee said with a smile.
The young winger grew up idolising Shane Williams and Liam Williams, two of Wales’ most exciting backs in recent history.
He admitted that sharing a dressing room with established international stars felt surreal at first.
"Coming in on my first day and seeing all the players that I’d watched on TV was surreal – now I’m mates with them all."
Despite his nerves, Mee quickly adapted to the environment.
"I’m obviously still quite young at 21, so coming into the camp I thought it would just be a good experience for me. With Liam Williams coming in as well, I thought I’d be able to learn off him.
"I never thought I’d get a chance, but I got it and I’ve taken it. If you’d told me 12 months ago when I was at Nottingham that I’d be playing for Wales this year I wouldn’t have believed it – it’s just surreal."
With Mee’s dynamic debut marking a significant moment for Wales, the focus now shifts to the remainder of the Six Nations campaign.
Sherratt’s side face crucial fixtures against Scotland and England, and they will be bolstered by the return of Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake, who has rejoined the squad after recovering from biceps surgery.
Lake, who captained Wales on their tour of Australia last summer, was initially expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks but has recovered ahead of schedule.
His return is a major boost as Wales look to build on their promising performance against Ireland.
For Mee, the goal is simple—continue improving and seize every opportunity that comes his way.
"I just want to carry on building my career and see where it takes me. I am always nervous before a game, but as soon as the first whistle went, I treated it as a normal game."
