Eight Scarlets have been named in a Wales U19s team to take on Ireland at Aberavon’s Talbot Athletic Ground on Sunday (KO 1pm).
Prop Jac Pritchard, centre Gryff Watkins, wing Sion Jones, hooker Lewis Jones and back-rowers Osian Williams and Keanue Evans are named in the starting XV, with prop Tom Phillips and fly-half Steff Jac Jones among the replacements.
Wales U20 head coach Richard Whiffin is leading the coaching team, and he will have no fewer than seven players who appeared in the recent U20 Six Nations in his squad for this weekend’s game against the Irish and next week’s assignment against Italy at The Wern, Merthyr.
Forwards Pritchard, Luke Evans, Tom Cottle, Ryan Jones and Caio James all got game time with the U20s, as did back division players Sion Davies and Jack Woods. Osian Darwin-Lewis and Lewis Edwards were also in the squad
.“These two games at U19 level are an opportunity for us to reach out to more players in the pathway. There are a number of players who haven’t been involved before with the U18s and so this is a chance for them to wear the Welsh shirt,” said Whiffin
.“They aren’t capped matches as such, but this is a great chance for players to put up their hands for selection for this summer’s World Rugby Junior Championship and to prepare for next years’ competitions.
“They also allow us to give more game time from the start for those players who were in the U20 squad and didn’t get as many minutes as they would have liked. Now they get the chance to show us what they can do and to lead some of the other players.”
Defence coach Scott Sneddon isn’t available due to his commitments at the Scarlets, so Scarlets Academy Pathway Manager Gareth Williams, a former Wales U20 head coach and member of the Wales senior coaching team, has come in to help.
Llandovery College captain Watkins, who led his side to victory in the WSCU18 Rugby final against Coleg y Cymoedd earlier in the season, gets his first chance to wear an international shirt, while Coleg Sir Gar skipper Osian Williams is one of four Scarlets players in the pack.
Wales U19: Lewis Edwards (Ospreys); Jack Woods (Bath), Osian Darwin-Lewis (Cardiff), Gryff Watkins (Scarlets), Owen Erasmus (Ospreys), Sion Jones (Scarlets); Owen Erasmus (Ospreys), Sion Davies (Cardiff); Cam Tyler-Growcott (Cardiff), Lewis Jones (Scarlets), Jac Pritchard (Scarlets), Luke Evans (Exeter), Tom Cottle (RGC), Osian Williams (Scarlets), Ryan Jones (Dragons, captain), Keanu Evans (Scarlets).
Reps: James Talamai (Saracens), Tom Phillips (Scarlets), Codi Purnell (Bath), Oscar Rees (Gloucester), Jack Gilbert (Gloucester), Caio James (Gloucester), Ellis Lewis (Neath), Steff Jac Jones (Scarlets), Ioan Penry (Cardiff), Noah Mason (Ospreys)