Wales training call for young Blues talent
PROMISING FULL-BACK DAVIES TO GET TASTE OF WHAT TEST RUGBY IS ALL ABOUT AHEAD OF WAYNE PIVAC’S BOW AGAINST THE BARBARIANS FORMER CARDIFF COACH TO TAKE THE REINS AT GLASGOW WARRIORS:
CARDIFF Blues’ Ioan Davies and Ospreys duo Dewi Lake and TiaanThomas Wheeler are three of a handful of promising young players who will train with Wayne Pivac’s senior Wales squad next week.
The new Wales boss is keen to get a number of players earmarked as ones with big futures into the environment to give them a taste of what Test rugby is all about.
Players will come in, get a feel for the place and the training facilities, as well as rubbing shoulders with established international players.
Yesterday, Pivac named the first Wales squad of his tenure that will face Warren Gatland’s Barbarians in Cardiff on November 30.
That 35-man squad will have one week to prepare for the uncapped clash and the youngsters will also be in and around the environment.
Davies caught the eye during the World U20s Championship, when his running style, game awareness and defensive bravery led to comparisons with Wales and Lions star Leigh Halfpenny.
The medical student, who will turn 20 next week. had a brilliant tournament out in Argentina and plenty are excited about the potential he has.
Full-back Davies is on the books at the Cardiff Blues, but has only featured for the region in a game against Uruguay last November.
“It’s fantastic for the young boys. When I first started about 18 months ago, we didn’t have many in that squad. Ioan Davies will go in an train with them for the week,” said Cardiff Blues boss John Mulvihill.
“I know that Wayne and his group want to get a young core of boys in to just adapt to what a week in international rugby could look like for them. It gives them something to aspire to.”
The Echo understands that Davies will be joined by Ospreys duo Lake and Thomas-Wheeler.
Hooker Lake captained the U20s side last year and was consistently one of the team’s top performers, leading them to a victory over New Zealand.
Lake, who signed his first senior contract this summer, is yet to feature in the PRO14.
Centre Thomas-Wheeler is one who has featured more regularly in the side.
It is currently unclear who the other players are, but the emergence of 23-year-old Kieran Hardy, who Pivac signed at the Scarlets, has been hugely impressive and if he were called to the Vale next week, it would not be a shock. Ryan Conbeer would also fit the profile.
As for the Dragons, 20-year-old back-rower Lennon Greggains is highly-rated, having represented the region a handful of times already and could be another Pivac chooses to look at.
As well as the young contingent, Wales’ injured players – the likes of George North, Josh Navidi and Alun Wyn Jones – will also be required in camp for ‘scene setting’ meetings with the new management.
“We will be bringing a few additional players in to train with the squad during the week, just to see them in the environment,” said Pivac.
“We will also be bringing some of the injured players in for some of the scene setting style sessions.”
He added: “(We’re) looking at players, not just in the senior game. We’ve been looking at the age-groups and the work we’re doing with the under20s and under-18s.
“We’re working closely there to maximise the resources that we’ve got.
“There’s also an exiles programme that we want to build on, so that we have as much information as possible on every Welsh player out there who is eligible to play for their country.”