Huge plus seeing our young lads triumph in South Africa
ANY WIN over a major rugby nation should be celebrated in Wales and that’s why I was delighted to see our Under-18 side claim the scalps of South Africa and England this week.
I’ve seen the team in training a couple of times recently and they’re playing with smiles on their faces. They really seem to enjoy chucking the ball around and at that age, I think that’s one of the most important things you can do.
Beating teams like the Springboks – 30-28 in their own back yard – can only be a positive for Welsh rugby. I watched that game with interest and I was delighted to see the style they’ve been working on in training transferred to the match environment.
Our forwards mixed it with South Africa and the backs looked really dangerous whenever they got the ball. You can tell they’ve been coached well.
Of course it’s important with all young players not to get too carried away. We know some of these guys might not even become professionals, but at the same time there will be others who will make it to the very top.
We saw with Keelan Giles last season that 18 or 19-year-olds can end up playing senior rugby quite quickly and the gap between the age grades and the highest level is getting ever smaller.
That’s why this young Wales side beating the best teams in the world has got me excited. The future looks bright, now we have to make sure we harness it properly in the next few years.