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Wales U20s select 10 Cardiff Blues

11th May 2017


Jason Strange has selected a 28-man squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship including 10 rising stars from Cardiff Blues.

Keiron Assiratti, James Botham, Callum Bradbury, Rhys Carre, Shane Lewis-Hughes and Aled Ward are named in the forwards.

Behind the pack Dane Blacker, Ben Jones and Cameron Lewis are joined by Owen Lane who returns from sevens duty to make the trip to Georgia.

Ospreys flanker Will Jones will captain the side and despite missing a number of key payers, Strange is optimistic for the tournament.

He said: “It's fair to say the time for experimentation is over with the World Rugby U20 Championship kicking off at the end of the month.

“We've got a balanced squad with huge amounts of potential - some of which we've already seen. 

“The new players coming in are there because they've shown they can integrate well with the way we want the team to play. We're hoping they can add to what we've already achieved so far as a group.”

As part of their preparations for the World Rugby U20 Championship, Wales U20 will welcome Scotland U20 to the Brewery Field in Bridgend on Tuesday 16th May for a warm-up match. 

This comes after the squad spent three days in the company of the British Army on a team-building project at Aldershot.

Strange will once again be assisted by Cardiff Blues Elite Pathway Manager Richard Hodges, and he is delighted to see such a strong representation from the region.

Hodges added: “Following the Six Nations it is brilliant for Cardiff Blues to have another strong contingent with the U20s. It shows how healthy our pathway is and points to a vibrant future for the region. 

“It’s a great opportunity for the boys and you only need to look at the likes of Seb (Davies), Tomos (Williams) and Rhun (Williams) to see how quickly you can go from the age-grade to senior set-up, both at a regional and international level, if you work hard.

“While I’m delighted for the boys included, it’s also disappointing to see Morgan Sieniawski, who enjoyed a good Six Nations, miss out due to injury.”

Wales kick-off their World Rugby U20 Championship campaign against Australia on May 31, before further fixtures against England and Samoa.

Forward: Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Blues), Sid Blackmore (Bath Rugby), James Botham (Cardiff Blues), Callum Bradbury (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues), Eddie Drake (Bridgend), Will Griffiths (Ospreys), Owen Hughes (Newport Gwent Dragons), Scott Jenkins (Scarlets), Will Jones (captain, Ospreys), Shane Lewis-Hughes (Cardiff Blues), Sean Moore (Pontypridd), Ellis Shipp (Newport Gwent Dragons), Steff Thomas (Scarlets), Aled Ward (Cardiff Blues).

Backs: Dane Blacker (Cardiff Blues), Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets), Connor Edwards (Newport Gwent Dragons), Joe Goodchild (Newport Gwent Dragons), Reuben Morgan-Williams (Ospreys), Ben Jones (Cardiff Blues), Phil Jones (Ospreys), Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues), Cameron Lewis (Cardiff Blues), Ioan Nicholas (Scarlets), Arwel Robson (Newport Gwent Dragons), Jared Rosser (Newport Gwent Dragons), Will Talbot-Davies (Newport Gwent Dragons).