Age-grade international action continues apace this weekend with Wales Under-18s meeting their Scottish counterparts at Kingston Park, Newcastle on Sunday. (3pm kick-off) - and five Dragons have been named in the match day squad.
Congratulations to captain Cerrig Smith, Rhys Cole and Carter Pritchard who all start while Tiehi Chatham and Brogan Leary are named among the replacements.
It is the first step on the international ladder for the youngsters, who have only three players back from last year’s squad – hooker Tom Howe, outside half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones and centre Jack Harrison.
After tomorrow’s game there will be one more fixture, against Italy in L’Aquila on Saturday 19 March before head coach Richie Pugh selects his squad to take part in the Six Nations U18 Festival in France next month.
Those matches will be played in Vichy, with Wales meeting Ireland on Thursday 10 April, Georgia on Monday 14 April and Italy again on Friday, April 18.
“This is a pretty fresh group of players with only the three boys coming back from last year’s squad. But they have trained hard, battled against each other throughout the season in the WSC Rugby U18 competition and then the Regional Academies tournament, and can’t wait to pull on a Welsh shirt,” said Pugh.
“Llandovery College were convincing winners of the WSC Rugby U18 title earlier in the season and the Ospreys came throughout a highly competitive Regional Academies campaign to pip Cardiff to the title at the Arms Park.
“They’ve been proving themselves against each other all season and now they get the chance to play against many of the best players of their age in Europe.”
The Ospreys provide four players to the matchday 23, while Cardiff have seven, Dragons five and Scarlets two. No 8 Cerrig Smith will lead the side and there are also a couple of players from Gloucester, Bristol and Yorkshire.
Loose head prop Dylan Barrett is following int he footsteps of his brother Rhys, the Cardiff front row in picking up age grade honours, while replacement hooker Logan Lloyd is the brother of Ospreys and former Wales U20 hooker Lewis Lloyd.
Replacement lock Gabe Williams is the younger brother of Wales and Cardiff second row Teddy.
Wales U18: Tomos Evans (Gloucester); Rhys Cole (Dragons RFC), Jack Harrison (Bath Rugby), Jack Hoskings (Ospreys), Rhys Cummings (Cardiff Rugby); Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (Scarlets), Carter Pritchard (Dragons RFC); Dylan Barrett (Cardiff Rugby), Tom Howe (Cardiff Rugby), Jayden Maybank (Ospreys), Kai Jones (Scarlets), Osian Williams (Bristol), Morgan Crew (Yorkshire Academy), Alfie Prygodzicz (Cardiff Rugby), Cerrig Smith (Dragons RFC, captain)
Replacements: Logan Lloyd (Ospreys), Logan Heaven-Hearn (Ospreys), Vinney Cleak (Cardiff Rugby), Tiehi Chatham (Dragons RFC), Gabe Williams (Cardiff Rugby), Luca Woodyatt (Gloucester), Lloyd Lucas (Cardiff Rugby), Brogan Leary (Dragons RFC)
