Rhys Patchell can be Wales' answer to All Blacks 10 Beauden Barrett - Pivac

The last of Rhys Patchell's four Wales caps came against New Zealand in June, 2016

Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac has likened Rhys Patchell to New Zealand fly-half Beauden Barrett and predicted his player can be a long-term Wales 10.

Patchell, 24, has been a replacement Wales fly-half and centre, and has also started two Tests at full-back.

But he has played only at 10 for Scarlets in what is now the Pro14 and Pivac intends to keep him there.

"He's got a lot of Beauden Barrett in him for a start," said New Zealander Pivac.

"But he's a better goal-kicker than Beauden Barrett.

New Zealand fly-half Beauden Barrett has scored 396 points in 55 Tests

"Rhys is pretty quick. You saw him come back after 12 weeks out against Edinburgh last year and a minute and a half into the game he went 55m.

"For the modern-day 10, it depends what coaches want.

"Whilst I'm at the Scarlets it's a running five-eighth (fly-half), who can cover the ground quickly, who can challenge defences, take the ball to the line, create space for the players outside him and doesn't cramp the outside backs.

"He's got a nice passing game, a big boot and he's a big guy, so there's no reason why he can't knock guys over."

The right mentors

Pivac says having former Wales fly-half Stephen Jones as attack coach and another ex-Test 10 in Byron Hayward in charge of Scarlets' defence means Patchell has two highly qualified mentors.

"He has got a very good mentor in Stephen Jones, so if anybody knows about a young player aspiring to play for Wales and then what it takes to get there and then stay there he's in the right hands, isn't he?

Stephen Jones (L) joined Wayne Pivac's coaching staff for the start of the 2015-16 season

"And if he's not quite sure of anything, he can go to his defence coach who's also played a lot at 10 and played for Wales and both have been goal-kickers.

"So he's got two really good mentors and one looks after his attack and one looks after his defence.

"And then he's got an old bloke like me to come to if he's got any problems at all with those two!

"So we think we've got it covered with him."

Advantage Patchell

Pivac also believes Patchell's personality and intelligence are to his advantage

"He is a smart guy. He is an intelligent person outside of rugby so you're not going to pull wool over his eyes," said Pivac.

"He understands that he's a young man and... when he does get a call-up - and I believe it will happen in the future at some stage - he needs to be ready to take that opportunity and not go and play half-a-dozen Tests and (for people to ask) whatever happened to that guy?

Byron Hayward played twice for Wales in 1998 and also boxed during his playing career

"He wants to have a long career so he's doing the hard work behind the scenes now to be the best player he can be, so that when he gets a call-up he can take it with both hands."

Pivac says Patchell is emphasising defence as part of that work so it "gets up to the standard of international rugby and he knows that's a work-on".

"We know he will be an international rugby player - he has been in the past at 15 and backing up 10 so it's just a matter of time," Pivac added.

Title holders Scarlets go Zebre in the second round of the Pro14 on Saturday.