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Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wales coach identifies the teen players you haven't heard of who are the best in years
Wales coach identifies the teen players you haven't heard of who are the best in years There is some serious talent in Welsh rugby's pathways Lloyd Lucas is one of a number of bright young Wales talents coming through (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) Wales U18s head coach Richie Pugh has identified a handful of players within the pathway he believes are potentially stars of the future. Pugh took his Wales U18s team to Vichy in France for the U18s Six Nations festival where they finished unbeaten, brushing aside Ireland, Georgia and Italy. Much work has been put into the Welsh Rugby Union's pathway with the aim of producing more and better players over the next few years. Former Ospreys and Scarlets openside Pugh - who won a senior cap for Wales in 2005 and won the World Cup Sevens in 2009 - is confident many of this year's U18s cohort have huge potential and might even have force their way into contention for the U20s World Championship this summer. "There's boys who definitely put their hands up," Pugh told WalesOnline. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "Both Carwyn Leggett-Jones and Lloyd Lucas at 10 were outstanding and both showed their game management prowess. "I thought Rhys Cummings at full-back was excellent. He wasn't involved with us in August but brought his form at Cardiff & Vale College into the regional programme. I thought he was outstanding in that 15/14 position in our Six Nations campaign. Article continues below "You've got to look at someone like Cerrig Smith. I put him in the same bracket as someone like Deian Gwynne who has gone about his business and captained the team. "He hasn't had huge flashy moments but he was just like the cement of our team and led the team really well. "There's boys there that could come in and experience a bit of the U20s training environment and who knows from there." The discussion at senior level currently centres around whether Wales has the size, athleticism and power up-front to compete with the top tier one nations. But Pugh is adamant that, over the next few years, players with outstanding physical attributes will begin to filter into the professional game. Wales U18s head coach Richie Pugh (Image: Ian WIlliams/Huw Evans Agency ) "We definitely have that profile of player within the pathway," he said. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "Look at somebody like Osian Williams, who is a Newport boy playing over at Bristol. He needs physical development and needs to put on size but he has got height that we haven't had recently in Wales since Luke Charteris. "There's boys like him. You look at your thicker-set boys and size. You've got Dom Kossuth and Cerrig Smith, who is a big, physical guy. "There's Noah Williams who has played at No 8. There's also Sam Williams who played for us last year but was injured for this campaign. "He's a big ball carrying second-row. You look at those boys then who are second-rows in U20s who will be coming back next year. "There's also Kai Jones, who is from a farming background in Lampeter. "He's a strong carrier who gets through a lot of unseen work. He causes so many niggly problems at maul time. "He does so much work and chases everything down. He's making tackles and even scored an intercept try where he ran the length of the field. "But he also scored a power try from short range where he carried three defenders on his back. "So, we have got that size within our pathways. It's about making sure they put the right size on and it's not just forced on them to carry that weight. We have got those boys. "I suppose when you look at England and France they've got multiple numbers. We aren't blessed with the numbers of England and France, but we've definitely got the characters that we can build on with the right profiles." The WRU are also keen to include more U19s fixtures because they have too limited a player pool at U18s level. Last month Wales U19s played a couple of fixtures against Ireland and Italy, which was seen as a success by the WRU. "What people may not realise is we are restricted on who we can pick with the U18s," Pugh told WalesOnline. "I'm talking about the age band because we work from January to January. There are boys you see playing at regional U18s and the schools and colleges league and you wonder why they are not getting picked for our U18s. "It's not a case of we don't want to pick them. It's just that's what World Rugby and the Six Nations put on the age profiling. It's January to January and it's always been that way. "This U19s group was hugely important for the boys who missed out at U18s but also can step into the U19s. "Take someone like Tom Cottle as an example. He's still in school. He's just managed to break into the U20s this year but if he hadn't the U19s block is huge for someone like him to be able to make that transition from U18s to U20s. "We are planning on introducing more standalone Wales U19s fixtures over the next couple of years against the likes of Ireland and France." There WRU have moved to make some positive changes to the pathway with regular skill clinics with players from the ages of 16-20 held regularly by coaches of the senior national side as one example. But there is also a lot of work being done to stop the player drain to English schools and Pugh believes the grass isn't always greener on the other side. "My view is it has got to be for the player," he said. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. "It has got to be based on what they feel is best in terms of education and beyond rugby. "The systems in place at the Welsh academies will make them better rugby players. "I don't think going to these schools in England are going to make them better rugby players even though they look all singing and dancing. "I knew Steff Emanuel was a potential world-class player before he went to Millfield. There was never any doubt he had that quality but the education reasons and the experiences were brilliant for him. "We have got to sell ourselves better in Wales and what we can offer. "The benefits of staying in Wales are you get more access and the work we do in the academies is on their doorstep. "If you want to become a professional rugby player you don't have to go over the bridge. That's not always the best route. "What's the best thing educational wise whether they are doing an apprenticeship, BTEC or A-Levels. "It's about how we marry it all up together. We've got to be better at selling ourselves in Wales. "We are doing good work as are the schools and colleges. "Look at the facilities Coleg y Cymoedd have got and the coaches within their programme along with the links with Cardiff. "They are doing brilliant work but we don't champion it enough. Article continues below "Both the WRU and the academies of the four regions are working well together. That is vital for the future of Welsh rugby."
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
The Lions squad shock omissions, surprise selections and unwanted Wales truth
The Lions squad shock omissions, surprise selections and unwanted Wales truth Wales have their lowest post-war contingent on a Lions tour Ieuan Evans, Chair and Tour Manager of the British & Irish Lions, unveils Henry Pollock as a squad member (Image: PA Wire ) So, there we have it. Andy Farrell has announced his British & Irish Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia and there are only two Welsh players included. Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams are part of the lowest contingent from Wales on a Lions tour since 1936, while England lock Maro Itoje has been named as captain. There is plenty to unpack in the wake of Farrell's squad announcements, with the odd eye-opening selection and one or two shock omissions. Here are the key talking points. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Shock selections In reality there weren't too many shocks but when England backrower Henry Pollock's name was read out by Lions chair Ieuan Evans it was met by an almighty cheer from the crowd at the O2 Arena in London. The 20-year-old has only one senior international cap to his name - as a late replacement as England thrashed Wales in Cardiff a couple of months ago. This time last year Pollock led England U20s to glory in the U20s World Championship in South Africa, so it is fair to say his rise has been meteoric. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Article continues below The backrow was undoubtedly the most competitive position but Pollock's sensational performance in Northampton Saints' Investec Champions Cup semi-final victory over Leinster in Dublin has swung selection in his favour. Elsewhere, it seems strange to single out England wing Elliot Day as a shock selection given he has already been on two Lions tours, but there weren't many pundits who included the Saracens star in their squads in the lead-up to the big announcement. Ireland's James Ryan - whose exclusion four years ago caused outrage across the Irish sea - and Scotland lock Scott Cummings also beat off some stiff competition. Shock omissions and unlucky players We can only assume Ireland No 8 Caelan Doris - who for months was strongly tipped to lead the Lions - has not been included due to a shoulder injury which requires surgery. From a Welsh perspective, Dewi Lake was touted for months as a potential tourist but has narrowly missed out on selection. Lake is an outstanding player but he has been in and out of action this season due to injuries which has probably counted against him. With Doris out injured, Taulupe Faletau would surely have entered the conversation but Farrell has opted for his Ireland backrower Jack Conan, while Ben Earl's ability to cover the backrow will also prove to be invaluable. Many people would have been shocked at the exclusion of Scotland wing Darcy Graham who has been in electric form this season. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Young Ireland outside-half Sam Prendergast, who up until recently was tipped to tour, seems to have paid the price for a flaky performance in Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton. On the flip side, his opposite number last Saturday, Fin Smith, had a cracking game and has been rewarded with a place on the plane to Australia. Toulouse openside Jack Willis is another player who many experts thought was too good to leave out, while Scotland's Jamie Ritchie is also a little bit unlucky. Experienced England hooker Jamie George and outside-half George Ford will also feel unfortunate to miss out. Is Wales' representation fair? The short answer is yes. Faletau and Lake would have been in the conversation, while Nicky Smith might also have been discussed. But at the end of the day Wales have picked up back-to-back Six Nations wooden spoons, while they have lost a record 17 Test matches in succession. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Article continues below A side struggling that badly is lucky to have two players on this Lions tour but it should serve as a wake-up call to the Welsh Rugby Union and is arguably a reflection of how badly the game in Wales has been managed over the past few years. Lions' 38-man squad in full FORWARDS Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland) #838 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #839 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) #851 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853 Ben Earl (Saracens/England) Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #848 Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #818 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England) Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) #825 (C) Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales)Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England) Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)BACKSBundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837 Elliot Daly (Saracens/England) #822 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England) Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) #835 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales)
Wales Online
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Cardiff set to sign Welsh-qualified star from rivals
Cardiff set to sign Welsh-qualified star from rivals The 29-year-old has made 41 appearances for the Dragons since signing in 2022 George Nott goes up to take a lineout for the Dragons (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency ) Cardiff are set to sign Welsh-qualified second-row George Nott from rivals Dragons and end the spate of players heading down the M4 from the Welsh capital to Newport. The 29-year-old has spent the last three seasons at Rodney Parade, having joined the Gwent side from London Irish in 2022. In his time at the Dragons, Nott has made 41 appearances for the club - being a big part in the Dragons having statistically the best lineout in the United Rugby Championship during his debut season. Prior to joining the Dragons, the Welsh-born lock turned out for Sale and London Irish in the Premiership, while he was also a part of the team of the tournament after helping England U20s win the 2017 U20s World Championship. Article continues below In moving from Newport to Cardiff, Nott will buck the recent trend - with the Dragons set to sign Seb Davies, Thomas Young and Tinus de Beer from the capital club. Former Cardiff tighthead Dillon Lewis is also heading to Newport from Harleqiuns ahead of next season. Having made 18 appearances last season, minutes have been a little harder to come by for Nott this season - with Filo Tiatia having already moved to bolster his second-row stocks for next season. Cardiff and Wales second-row Davies is set to head in the opposite direction to Nott, while the club also announced the signing of Welsh-qualified lock Levi Douglas from French side Biarritz Olympique this week. Matt Sherratt's side are also in need of depth in the second-row, with Davies leaving after a decade with the Arms Park club. The club did announce a new deal for Josh McNally, after an impressive debut season in Cardiff, while they also have Teddy Williams, Ben Donnell and Rory Thornton on the books. In January, they announced a senior academy deal for Wales U20s second-row Tom Cottle. Wales back-row Mackenzie Martin, who has yet to start a match this season amid interest from the Dragons, can also play in the second-row - having played there for Cardiff RFC this season. With a year left on his deal at the Arms Park, any move to Rodney Parade now seems unlikely - raising the prospects of Martin being used as a lock next year. 25% OFF DEAL NOW: Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Second-row has been an area Cardiff have been looking to target, along with tighthead prop and outside centre. Sherratt admitted after the win over Munster that the recent uncertainty with the Welsh Rugby Union's takeover of the club after they temporarily went into administration had not helped matters. The new Professional Rugby Agreement has yet to be signed, meaning clubs are currently unsure on exact budgets for next season - with Cardiff understood to have already missed out on one target for the 13 jersey. The club are relatively short on numbers there. Experienced Rey Lee-Lo could well sign another short-term deal, while Harri Millard has been starting there recently following a lengthy injury to Mason Grady. "I'll be honest, the change of ownership has probably delayed things," he said after the 26-21 win over Munster. "Nights like tonight help as well. "Regardless of results, there's a good group here and a good feeling. In the last two years, it's not long since we were talking about having 12 training. "We've changed training base mid-season, change of ownership, plenty of caps leave the club and new staff. This group have had every excuse to ease off. Article continues below "To be where we are at the moment, surrounded by good teams, is a massive credit to everyone involved in the club. There's always been a good spirit here."
