Wales have named their squad for the forthcoming U20 Six Nations and have included current Millfield School full back Dan John in their squad.
Head Coach Gareth Williams named a 33-man squad on Friday that included the star youngster and just eight players that featured last season for the Wales U20 side.
John is joined in the squad by a number of other players based in England, not least Ioan Lloyd of Bristol Bears. The former Clifton College man has made a tremendous start to his fledgling career at both fly half and full back.
Also included is Leicester Tigers’ Sam Costelow, the former Oakham fly half who went to the World Rugby U20 Championships last year as a schoolboy and who will no doubt be sharing that experience with John.
Along with Lloyd and Costelow there is a third English based fly half in the squad in the form of Worcester Warriors’ Luke Scully, and the trio will be joined in the half backs by former Bryanston scrum half Ellis Bevan, now at Cardiff Met University.
In the pack the Exiles continue to litter the squad, former Hampton back rower Gwilym Bradley, now at Cardiff Blues, is selected in a competitive part of the squad, from which Scarlets’ Jac Morgan will lead the team. In the coalface former Eastbourne College prop Theo Bevacqua and ex Marlborough College prop Archie Griffin will link up, now at Cardiff Blues and Bath respectively.
Speaking to www.wru.wales on his selection, Gareth Williams said:
“We’ve been through the identification process thoroughly and it has resulted in us arriving at this stage of the Six Nations. There are still a lot of players out there that are still in contention for the Junior World Cup and it’s a case of keeping that identification going while competing in this Six Nations period.”
On the Exiles in the squad, he commented: “The relationships with Bristol, Bath and Leicester and English clubs in general have been fantastic to be fair so we are excited to welcome those boys into the squad.”
Wales’ campaign kicks off on Friday 31st January at home to Italy in Colwyn Bay, ahead of a trip to Ireland the following weekend. They the have home games either side of the second fallow week against France and then Scotland, before finishing the campaign away to England at Kingsholm on Friday 13th March.
Wales U20 6 Nations Squad:
Full-backs/Wings:
Dan John (Millfield School), Josh Thomas (Ospreys), Ewan Rosser (Dragons), Callum Williams (Scarlets), Harri Doel (Scarlets)
Centres:
Bradley Roderick(Ospreys), Aneurin Owen (Dragons), Osian Knott (Scarlets)
Fly-halves:
Sam Costelow (Leicester Tigers), Luke Scully (Worcester), Jacob Beetham (Cardiff Blues), Ioan Lloyd (Bristol)
Scrum-halves:
Ellis Bevan (Cardiff Met), Dafydd Buckland (Dragons)
Back row:
Travis Huntley (Ospreys), Morgan Strong (Ospreys), Gwilym Bradley (Cardiff Blues), Ioan Davies (Cardiff Blues), Jac Morgan (Scarlets – CAPT), Benji Hoppe (Dragons)
Second Row:
James Fender (Ospreys), Rhys Thomas (Ospreys), Ben Carter (Dragons), Jac Price (Scarlets)
Props:
Theo Bevacqua (Cardiff Blues), Ben Warren (Cardiff Blues), Callum Williams (Scarlets), Archie Griffin (Bath), Harri O Connor (Scarlets), Dylan Bartlett (Dragons)
Hookers:
Dom Booth (Scarlets), Will Griffiths (Dragons), Brodie Coghlan Dragons)
