Good news for Dragons at last - at age grade at least!

Good news for the Dragons. For a number of years now the Wales age grade sides have only ever had a handful of Dragons age grade and academy players. I remember seeing the last junior world cup team and I think we had 2 or 3 players in the 30 man (or boy?!) squad (Jonathan Evans and Lewis Robling spring to mind, maybe Jevon Groves?). Perhaps this is reflected in the lowly position of the Dragons in relation to the other 3 regions. Better youth/academy players = better senior team? Makes sense.

Anyway, the latest Wales Under 18 side is made up in the majority by Dragons U18 players. A change to the structure of the academy seems to be baring fruit, according to Dragons Performance Manager Will Thomas. Also, this has been based mainly on College players which is a shot in the arm for those calling for more schools based structures (in Gwent the majority if post 16 education is tertiary, i.e. in college insead of 6th form. Only Newport still has full 6th forms for all schools). It's not major news, but a step in the right direction for the region.

Hopefully if the other 3 regions continue to do what they do, and the Dragons are now able to offer quality players into the mix, then this can only be good for regional and national rugby in Wales.


http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/newsarticle.aspx?n=20331

"After the East versus West match at St. Helens on Wednesday night, national selectors have now confirmed a 28-strong squad to represent Wales at Under 18 level.

The squad was selected after intense training camps, weeks of analysis and monitoring which culminated in the trial match.

WRU Under 18 Team Manager, Gethin Watts, said: “The trial match was a great exercise and was an opportunity for us to see all players once again in a game situation and allowed us to make some final assessments on players involved over the past few months.”

Wales begin their international campaign with a warm-up game against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on 15 February before taking on Scotland on 11 March in Glasgow. The team will then travel to Madrid in late March to take part in the U18 FIRA-AER European championship.

“I’d like to thank everyone who was involved including all the regional performance managers and Under 18 coaches,” added Watts.

“As a management group we are really pleased with the number of talented and exciting players coming through the WRU player pathway and we’re looking forward to working with this squad and preparing for the season.”

The squad includes eleven players from the Dragons Region, which is comfortably the highest representation from any one region. Dragons Performance Manager, Will Thomas, commented ‘Since making the required structural changes to the WRU run Dragons Academy set up three years ago, this is the first cohort of players that have fully come through the new pathway and resultant programme. What is even more pleasing is that ten of the eleven players have all been developed through our Junior Academy programme out of Cross Keys College, where their rugby development is delivered alongside the players mainstream education from the ages of 16 to 18.’

The Junior Academy is a joint initiative, funded between the WRU, Coleg Gwent and Cross Keys RFC. Thomas added ‘We are grateful to both the College and Cross Keys RFC for providing funding and sharing the WRUs vision of the need to provide interventionist development to this key age group on a daily basis.’

2012 Wales Under 18 Squad

Forwards
Callum Jay Lewis - Blues
Nicky Smith - Ospreys
Elliot Dee - Dragons
Ethan Lewis - Blues
Scott Otton - Ospreys
Nicky Thomas - Ospreys
Alex Jefferies - Dragons
Gus McPherson - Blues
Scott Andrews - Dragons
Joshua Helps - Scarlets
Derryn Jones - Dragons
Benjamin Roach - Blues
Calum Davies - Ospreys
Scott Matthews - Dragons
James Benjamin - Dragons


Backs
Shaun Clarke - Blues
Connor Lloyd - Scarlets
Luke Crane - Dragons
Gareth Thomson - Blues
Jack Maynard - Scarlets
Dafydd Wyn Howells - Ospreys
Jack Dixon - Dragons
Mike Jones - RGC 1404
Ben Roberts - Ospreys
Steffan Hughes - Scarlets
Lewis Hudd - Dragons
Hallam Amos - Dragons
Ethan Davies - Dragons"

Griff,

I don't suppose out of those players there is a beast of a T/Head or a dog of a 2nd row in amongst them is there?

Bed - I doubt at that age there will be...

Speaking to a friend the other day she mentioned her school has appointed a new WRU coach for the rugby team on a 4 year contract. Good news, it's where we really should be investing heavily.

Ha! Probably not Bedford. Unfortunately IMO Wales as a nation has only produced one beast in the front row in my lifetime (I'm early 30s), and that is Adam Jones. A sad state of affairs really. Struggling to think of another really dominant scrummager in the last 30 years???!

Good stuff for the Dreigiau - bodes well for the future

Griff wrote:Ha! Probably not Bedford. Unfortunately IMO Wales as a nation has only produced one beast in the front row in my lifetime (I'm early 30s), and that is Adam Jones. A sad state of affairs really. Struggling to think of another really dominant scrummager in the last 30 years???!

There haven't been many Griff thats for sure even in my life time (mid 40s ), I suppose the old Viet Gwent were up there especially Bobby Windsor and the only other one I can think of is Stuart Evans but unfortunately, like a lot of his generation his best days were lost to League.

Good for the Dragons. I can only dream of supporting a club with academy/age grade representation....!!

FAO other regions, keep an eye on which lads you want and we should have them ready for you in a few seasons

RuckingFlanker86 wrote:FAO other regions, keep an eye on which lads you want and we should have them ready for you in a few seasons

Yeah thats the only problem RF, the others will just come in and poach them off us.

Griff wrote:Good news for the Dragons. For a number of years now the Wales age grade sides have only ever had a handful of Dragons age grade and academy players. I remember seeing the last junior world cup team and I think we had 2 or 3 players in the 30 man (or boy?!) squad (Jonathan Evans and Lewis Robling spring to mind, maybe Jevon Groves?). Perhaps this is reflected in the lowly position of the Dragons in relation to the other 3 regions. Better youth/academy players = better senior team? Makes sense.

Anyway, the latest Wales Under 18 side is made up in the majority by Dragons U18 players. A change to the structure of the academy seems to be baring fruit, according to Dragons Performance Manager Will Thomas. Also, this has been based mainly on College players which is a shot in the arm for those calling for more schools based structures (in Gwent the majority if post 16 education is tertiary, i.e. in college insead of 6th form. Only Newport still has full 6th forms for all schools). It's not major news, but a step in the right direction for the region.

Certainly good news, it would give us more options in the near future. I am not sure that Robling or Groves were in the U20 squad but now they may be taking off their anti-gwent specs.

I don't think the majority of 16-18 year olds go to college do they? Every school has a 6th form. College's off the top of my had are; Nash, Crosskeys, Pontypool, Abergavenny, Ebbw Vale. As far as I know, only Crosskeys have the numbers for a 'rugby academy' which I was once a part of. The rest don't, but may have a netball team...

Good to see an RGC player in there also.

Morgannwg wrote:Good to see an RGC player in there also.

Morgannwg wrote:

Griff wrote:Good news for the Dragons. For a number of years now the Wales age grade sides have only ever had a handful of Dragons age grade and academy players. I remember seeing the last junior world cup team and I think we had 2 or 3 players in the 30 man (or boy?!) squad (Jonathan Evans and Lewis Robling spring to mind, maybe Jevon Groves?). Perhaps this is reflected in the lowly position of the Dragons in relation to the other 3 regions. Better youth/academy players = better senior team? Makes sense.

Anyway, the latest Wales Under 18 side is made up in the majority by Dragons U18 players. A change to the structure of the academy seems to be baring fruit, according to Dragons Performance Manager Will Thomas. Also, this has been based mainly on College players which is a shot in the arm for those calling for more schools based structures (in Gwent the majority if post 16 education is tertiary, i.e. in college insead of 6th form. Only Newport still has full 6th forms for all schools). It's not major news, but a step in the right direction for the region.

Certainly good news, it would give us more options in the near future. I am not sure that Robling or Groves were in the U20 squad but now they may be taking off their anti-gwent specs.

I don't think the majority of 16-18 year olds go to college do they? Every school has a 6th form. College's off the top of my had are; Nash, Crosskeys, Pontypool, Abergavenny, Ebbw Vale. As far as I know, only Crosskeys have the numbers for a 'rugby academy' which I was once a part of. The rest don't, but may have a netball team...

Good to see an RGC player in there also.

Morgannwg, Robling definitely was as I watched him on tv and know his mum who went out to watch it (the Jnr world cup). Not sure about Groves but know it was only a few dragons lads there.

Also, I work in education in Gwent and it's only Newport schools who all have 6th forms. Some in Torfaen do but will be closing soon, Blaenau Gwent schools have two sixth forms but they're closing as the new learning campus is opening soon. Caerphilly only 3 comps out of something like 10. Sixth forms are closing everywhere. The campuses you named ate correct but they're all part of the same college now: Coleg Gwent. One big college now with 5 campuses.

EDIT: Caerphilly schools have more 6th forms than that, but they're under review for closing or going to a tertiary system due to low numbers and funding.

The point being though that a high number of these players are linked to the education system as opposed to clubs, so maybe there's still a future for schools/college rugby in the future.

i may be wrong but arent Hallam Amos and Jack Dixon who have both represented the seniors both from monmouth school, which is an estalishment the dragons have developed strong links with?

as for the colleges arent they all under one bannder coleg gwent? the rugby side (which i believe is based at cross keys) also seem to have strong ties with the dragons and have performed well in its league over the last couple of seasons

completely agree this is positive, however what is the point when they get to an age when they can really improve the senior team only to jump ship to enhance their welsh chances?

The colleges are under one banner, but it doesn't make sense for them to have just one team. They are too far apart for all the players to commit to training and matches. When I was there, it was just Crosskeys College boys playing rugby and football. I can remember, out of the two years I was there, that on two occassions three backline players from Pontypool college turned up and play once.

Not sure about Hallam Amos, think he is from England but has been here since a young age. He played at full back in the LV cup match and scored. Definitely a good prospect if he decideds his alleigance is with Dragons and Wales.

What the Dragons need to be looking for now, is an understudy for Steffan Jones. Will it be Robling? I was a fan of him at 12. If Tuilagi can actually start playing rugby, him and Hughes could work out well in the midfield.

I'd like to see Robling get some time at 10, Morgannwg. He's played a fair bit at 10 for Newport and has been their kicker quite a bit (against the Scarlets must have been a bad day at the office!). I quite like a player who can play 10 or 12. Wilkinson, Carter, Giteau, dare I mention Henson in the same breath, Luke McAllister, etc. These sort of players tend to be creative centres due to their kicking and distrubution skills from playing 10, so it's great if Robling can be this sort of player.

We need all the help we can get to get the backline moving and get the ball to the wings because with Brew (power and nose for the try line), Chavanga (speed that I haven't ever seen in a player at the Dragons, but rarely in then space to use it) and Martyn Thomas (can always find space) we've probably got some of our best players, but in positions that can sometimes struggle to get into the game.

Griff wrote:Ha! Probably not Bedford. Unfortunately IMO Wales as a nation has only produced one beast in the front row in my lifetime (I'm early 30s), and that is Adam Jones. A sad state of affairs really. Struggling to think of another really dominant scrummager in the last 30 years???!

Mike Griffiths, David Young, Stuart Evans, Garin Jenkins?
They were monsters who knew how to scrumage!

I was in Bridgend recreation center when I was about 16 on the rowing machines, there were 4 across and you could link them up and have races.
Robby Boobyer, Stuart Evans and Owain Williams joined me on them and asked me if I fancied a race. I agreed, I got off to a good start, until Stuart evans did his first pull and he went hammering past me, he pulled the rower with such force he left the rest of us for dead.

I also had a sneaky look at his burnt calories and power level on the stepping machine and he burnt up 2,600 calories on the maximum setting, I jumped on and at that level could barely move the steps!

When he came back from Rugby league he was well over 20 stone!

Alyn,

Garin Jenkins was a hooker, we have planty of hookers who can scrum but T'Heads seem thin on the ground.