Welsh rugby has a new bright young thing and those in the know are very excited about him
Carwyn Leggatt-Jones is one of a number of talented young Welsh outside-halves
Carwyn Leggatt-Jones lines up a hot at goal for Llandovery College
(Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency )
Positivity is a commodity which is in short supply in Welsh rugby but there are reasons to be optimistic at the quality of players currently in the senior academies.
Welsh rugby is currently at its lowest ebb since the game turned professional but on the whole the talent within the pathway is higher than it has been for a number of years, both in terms of skill and size.
One player who readers will have begun to read a lot of is Carwyn Leggatt-Jones and there's a good reason for that.
He may be just 17 years old but the Wales U18s outside-half is a talent who is getting those working within the Welsh Rugby Union pathways excited.
Leggatt-Jones hails from Carmarthen and is currently at Llandovery College, where he played a starring role in the WRU Schools & Colleges League final against Coleg y Cymoedd at the Principality Stadium last December, with a long-range drop goal really catching the eye.
Leggatt-Jones was also outstanding in the U18s Six Nations Festival last month, guiding Wales U18s to victories over Ireland, Georgia and Italy. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
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His goal kicking was immaculate but it was his control and the way he controlled each game which really stood out.
While he is very young and has huge challenges ahead of him, the Carmarthen teenager has so much time on the ball.
Leggatt-Jones' potential is not lost by those within the game after he was named in the Wales U20s training squad ahead of the U20s World Cup this summer and he is also a member of the senior Scarlets academy.
"Carwyn is one of the smartest youngsters I've come across in terms of knowing the game and playing the game," said Wales 20s defence coach Scott Sneddon, who is also head of the Scarlets academy.
"He's only 17 but he's got a lot of potential.
"Will we see that at the Scarlets? Dwayne (Peel) likes what he sees.
"He'll get his first taste of senior rugby next season and everyone is excited to see how he goes. He'll undergo a hybrid senior pre-season, so he'll get that exposure and then we'll give him support to see where he gets over the next 12 months.
"The plan for him is to play for Carmarthen Quins in the Super Rygbi Cymru and he'll get his exposure with our senior group as and when he can. That'll be the plan for him next year."
But fans will have to be patient with Leggatt-Jones, who will need to adapt to the speed and physicality of senior rugby over the next couple of years.
But what also sets him apart is his problem solving on the field of play.
"He plays with total freedom but any mistakes he does make he seems to brush off really well. He doesn't wear any of those mistakes," Llandovery College director of rugby and former Wales No 8 Nathan Thomas told WalesOnline last year.
"He plays with a lot of freedom and he's been a class performer for us.
"Everything we have seen from Carwyn so far in terms of his array of kicks and his ability to make good decisions right in the face of a defence is as good as anything I've seen coming through the system.
"He seems to be a lot wiser than his actual age and it's weird to think he's only in Year 12. If he gets the right support over the next years I don't see how he can't be playing at professional level at least."
WalesOnline spoke to Leggatt-Jones last month and he is determined to go as far as he can in the game.
The Scarlets prospect is a student of the game and has the work ethic alongside the natural talent.
"I'm a triple threat player and I can manage a game as well," Leggatt-Jones told WalesOnline last month when asked what his point of difference is. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
"I'm quite a relaxed player on the field and I don't dwell on mistakes. It's about having strong fundamentals but still having fun when you are playing.
"When I was coming through secondary school I studied Damian McKenzie very closely. I like the way he played.
"Just the style of play he had. I like Richie Mo'unga as well, just the way he makes line breaks and how slow he holds his feet off the back of pods and stuff to draw people in.
"He's interesting to watch. I want to be able to bring players onto me and put people in space but then if there's space there I want to be able to take that and make breaks as well."
Wales are going through some pain at senior international level, although Sam Costelow and Dan Edwards have potential.
But there are quality outside-halves within the pathway with huge potential including Leggatt-Jones, Math Jones, Lloyd Lucas, Harri Wilde and Harri Ford, among others.
"There's loads of them at U18s level," Wales U20s head coach Richard Whiffin told WalesOnline last year. "It's now their opportunity to go and grab it.
"He's (Carwyn Leggatt-Jones) got a lot of potential. There's good competition around him but he is a talented player.
"He's got a lot of potential but at the moment that's all it is. He's going to have to work hard to maximise that talent.
"In terms of leading the attack, that takes a little bit of time for young number 10s to develop. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
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"Some players just get it and others take time and have to learn it. This isn't just a Welsh thing.
"There's some good young 10s in and around that U18s set-up but that's going to take a few years to come through."
It looks like the famous Welsh outside-half factory isn't dead after all.
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