The 25-year-old enjoyed a try scoring debut against Italy last month and continued to impress throughout the championship. Despite Wales falling on the wrong side of some tight games he insists they will get better.
“It’s been amazing,” said Tompkins of his short time at the highest level so far. “It was a really good learning curve against Ireland and what I’ve learned is that not only is the standard of rugby obviously a little bit higher, but the biggest thing for me is the hype around it.
“It’s all the stuff that’s not to do with rugby – the pressure and things like that. It’s something you just have to learn and get used to so that’s what I’ve been trying to focus on.
“I’ve been trying to play my game and play how I’ve done for Saracens. That’s all you really can do, I suppose.
“I’ve loved it. It’s been tough and it was really emotional after the French game.
“It was really tight, we pushed, and we just fell short. That was frustrating, but I’m enjoying everything for what it is even if it is sometimes negative.
“The results do frustrate you and I am hugely frustrated personally, but also I am enjoying it. I want to be here and it’s been an amazing experience.”
Tompkins played for England at age grade level but qualifies for Wales through his Wrexham born grandmother. And he believes he made the right choice to represent Wales as he targets a successful future wearing the three feathers.
“I’d say that was one of the hardest things I had to go through,” Tompkins said. “You see all those guys make it and they’ve taken the opportunities they’ve had.
“You do question why you’re not getting the chances, but I think it clicked later about two years ago for me that there were things I needed to do to and I wasn’t doing them. I was probably blaming other people and making up excuses for why I wasn’t doing what I should have been.
“Maybe the opportunities were a little bit harder to come by being where I am, but you have to be patient. I realise looking back that everybody has got their own path.
“It takes people different times to figure out what you need to do to step up. I wasn’t ready in the past.
“I’m ready now, but I don’t know if I would have been ready if I’d been thrust in at 22 or 23. The strongest emotion for me is to prove and show people why I’m here.
“I want the fans to see I deserve to be here.”
