As surprises go, it was a pretty good one.

But despite only recently breaking her way into the senior Scarlets Ladies squad, Lisa Neumann received a shock phone call from Wales Women’s coach Rowland Phillips last week asking her to join up with the national team at The Vale.

“I really didn’t expect it,” admitted the 23-year-old former Ysgol Dewi Sant pupil, who plays with Haverfordwest Ladies in the WRU Women’s Division One.

“He told me he’d watched the Scarlets v Ospreys game recently and thought I had a made a real impact in the centre. Our regional coach, Daryl Morgan, had briefly mentioned he and Rowland had talked about me but it never crossed my mind that I might be called up.”

Indeed, it has been a meteoric recent rise for Neumann, who admits she only sporadically played rugby whilst in Ysgol Dewi Sant and at University in Manchester.

But this season she decided to fully commit to the sport, and a string of superb displays for both her club and her region have paid dividends.

“She’s extremely talented and her skill set really came to the fore in training this this summer,” said Chris Beggan, a coach at Haverfordwest Ladies.

“She’s a very coachable player and wants to improve all the time.

“She has been one of the Scarlets’ best players this season and I have no doubt she has what it takes to play at international level.”

Beggan joked that if Wales didn’t cap her imminently, he’s attempt to ensure his native Ireland did.

Neumann has already participated in her first session with the squad, and joins further Pembrokeshire players past and present in Jasmine Joyce, Lleucu George, Katie Thicker, and Nia Elen, all of which were already named earlier this month.

“I know Jasmine and Katie well so it was nice to see them when I joined up - even if they were a bit surprised to see me.”

Prior to their next set of international games, Wales Women will take on the UK Armed Forces in a specially arranged match at Cardiff Arms Park on Wednesday, November 8, for a Remembrance Rugby fixture.