Wales Under 20 head coach Darren Edwards will take a final look at the players in contention for places in his Under 20 Six Nations squad when the best Under 20 players in the East take on their peers from the West at Cross Keys next Wednesday (5 Jan, KO 7pm).
“The WRU Programme Performance Managers Will Thomas in the East and Kevin George for the West have organised the teams and coaching for the match and we’ve asked them to use our basic game plan to help with our preparations as the Six Nations championship approaches,” explained Edwards.
“It is a very positive game plan because for these players, the tournament is very much a shop window and we want them to be as bold as possible.”
Edwards believes he will have some welcome selection headaches when it comes to picking his starting XV for the opening game against England on February 5.
“We have some talented half backs including Matthew Morgan and scrum halfs Aled Davies and Jonathan Evans who all have some senior regional rugby under their belts. We also have some exciting strike runners in Tom Prydie and Eli Walker so we will need to utilise those strengths out wide.”
Edwards, along with his assistant coach Richard Webster and team manager Mark Taylor will see most of these players in action at Pandy Park on Wednesday.
“There will be some keen competition in some positions so Wednesday’s game will be very useful for us as a management team, and we will also have the chance to see some partnerships in action,” added Edwards.
“The WRU Programme managers have put the players forward to this stage, and we have watched most of the boys in Premiership and Regional action so once this game has been played we will have covered all our bases. A few players will be away due to Regional call-ups on Wednesday but that can only help their development. This applies to Machynlleth-born Scarlets prop Rhodri Jones and potentially one or two others. ”
And Edwards revealed the players will benefit from the newly established WRU skills coaching unit.
“Rob Appleyard and Andrew Millward have already linked up with the National Squad and put systems in place that mirror the senior defensive and set-piece strategies. That will be a great help to any players who make a quick transition to Warren Gatland’s side, something we have seen a fair bit over the last couple of years. Alongside that work, it’s important we develop our own attacking plays.”
With only one month between this week’s game and the Six Nations championship, Edwards has set out his plan for the development of the side.
“We will finalise the 26-man squad as soon as possible after this game and we will get our coaches into the Regions to work on the set-piece in particular.
“We will then train together at the National Centre of Excellence ahead of the championship opener and each week of the Six Nations in a very professional environment. We will have a tight schedule so we will concentrate on the basics and key areas.
“Although we want to do as well as we possibly can in the Six Nations, we also want to build towards the Junior World Championship in June.”
WRU Head of Rugby, Performance and Development, Joe Lydon, said, “The priority for the players at this level of the player pathway has to be to break into and maintain club and/ or Regional places. Many of the players in this selection game have already done this and the opportunity now is to see how they cope against their peers and without the security of more senior teammates alongside them. It’s a chance for individuals to prove their reputation is justified and to prove they can play as part of a representative squad.
“Darren Edwards, Wales Under 18 head coach Gruff Rees and their management teams have taken a highly proactive approach since their appointments. Darren has worked closely with Wales head coach Warren Gatland and the national management team so that the Under 20 squad players gain the maximum benefit from fully joined-up coaching systems and strategies.”
Tickets for next Wednesday’s game are just £3 and £5 for adults and £2 for Under 16s. They will be available for purchase on match day or by calling 01495 270 280 or 07970 776698.
East Wales squad:
Backs: Tom Williams (Blues), Will Jones (Cardiff), Elliot Jones (Glamorgan Wanderers), Ashley Norton (Dragons), Owen Williams (Blues), Jack Gadd (Bristol), Ross Wardle (Dragons), Lloyd Thomas (Glamorgan Wanderers), Joseff Griffin (Blues), Lewis Williams (Blues), Jonathan Evans (Dragons), Lewis Jones (Blues)
Forwards: Gareth Kemp (Dragons), John Lavender (Dragons), Will Griff John (Blues), Lewis Smout (Blues), Lewis Smout (Blues), Ieuan Davies (Cardiff), Jamie Sollis (Dragons), Rhydian Wilson (Dragons), Cory Hill (Blues), Macauley Cook (Blues), Luke Hamilton (Blues), Gareth Evans (Gloucester), Cameron Regan (Dragons), Thomas Young (Blues), Reuben Tucker (Blues), Owen Sheppeard (Blues)
Management team:
Head coach: Will Thomas
Forwards coach: Paul Young
Backs coach: Shaun Connor
Team manager: Billy Vivian
Physio: Dan Jones
West Wales squad:
Backs: Lee Rees (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Llanelli), Nathan Brooks (Ospreys), Luke Morgan (Bridgend), Eli Walker (Ospreys), Luke Williams (Scarlets), Iolo Evans (Scarlets), Rheon James (Scarlets), Adam Warren (Scarlets), Steve Shingler (Scarlets), Matthew Morgan (Ospreys), Aled Davies (Scarlets), Tom Habberfield (Ospreys)
Forwards: Rowan Jenkins (Scarlets), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Will Taylor (Ospreys), Trystan Davies (Scarlets), Sam Parry (Scarlets), Kirby Myhill (Scarlets), Matthew Screech (Blues), Ben Davies (Ospreys), Jon Gardiner (Scarlets), Ollie Pardoe (Swansea), Lawrence Reynolds (Scarlets), Edward Siggery (Pontypridd), Ben Thomas (Ospreys), Steff Phillips (Carmarthen Quins)
Management team:
Head coach: Andy Lloyd
Assistant coach: Ian Jones
Team manager: Steffan Thomas
