The 22-year-old was outstanding on Wales’ summer tour providing the platform for victories over Argentina and South Africa. And Lewis believes his competition with Cardiff Blues summer signing Arhip can take him to new heights.
“Competition is always healthy and having someone of Dmitri’s quality in my position to learn off is very helpful,” said Lewis.
“Dmitri is completely different to anyone I’ve ever played with or against in terms of scrummaging and I can learn heaps off him. He does a lot of work with me and the younger boys while he also speaks a lot to the loose-heads.
“He’s a really good player and he’s good to have around the camp for the likes of myself and the younger props. But my goal is to be the starting tight-head prop at the Blues and that’s something I’m working towards.”
Lewis admits his performances this summer has given him the confidence and the ambition to add to his five Wales caps. With tests against Scotland, Australia, Tonga and South Africa this November Lewis knows he will need to nail down a place in the Blues’ starting XV.
“Going into the summer tour if somebody had told me I would start two games out of three I would have bitten their hand off,” he said.
“The fact the Wales coaches had the confidence to start me is massive. I can take massive confidence out of how well the games went for me personally.
“But I need to be playing regularly at regional level. Regular game time is something that’s going to help me with achieve my international goals.”
