Wales change ‘capture’ side to encourage exiled talent

WALES A is to replace the U20s as Welsh rugby’s international capture team – even though the side won’t play a game this season!

It’s a move designed to make it more likely that the best young English-based Welsh-qualified players will come into the system and wear the three feathers.

For a number of years now, the U20s has been Wales’ designated capture team. That has meant anyone who played against another country which does the same – such as France – would be tied to Wales.

That was why Steve Shingler was barred from taking up a place in the Scotland Six Nations squad in 2012 having previously played for the Welsh U20s. It’s a situation that has resulted in some English-based youngsters being reluctant to represent our U20s as it could affect their careers over the border.

That’s because English clubs receive payment from the RFU for meeting quotas, by restricting the number of non-English qualified players in their squads.

Notably, Bristol’s Callum Sheedy and London Scottish’s Rory Bartle both pulled out of the U20s squad in March 2015 to avoid being tied to Wales.

Now players won’t be faced with that club v country dilemma and that’s been illustrated by Newcastle’s Max Davies – who has represented England at age-grade level – and Gloucester’s Morgan Morris taking up places in the squad for this year’s Six Nations.

It will now be the reintroduced Wales A team which serves as the capture side – although they won’t resume fixtures until next season due to no opponents being available this term.

Outlining the change, WRU head of rugby performance Geraint John said: “We wrote to World Rugby before Christmas and told them our designated capture team this year is Wales A and not the U20s.

“One of the things I noticed last year is that it was very difficult to get our Welsh-qualified players who are based in England to play for the U20s.

“We couldn’t get them in. We couldn’t even get them to come down for a camp. As things stood, if they played for us, they would lose their English qualification. Just by changing things, so it’s not our capture team, the players know they can come along. It allows them to come here, but they don’t lose their English qualified status, so the club isn’t as worried about them coming in here. It’s not a problem.

“Saying to a youngster at 18 or 19, I’m sorry you can’t go and play for anybody else is sometimes very difficult. It’s allowed us to be more attractive to players across the border. They feel more comfortable coming into the programme. It doesn’t put them in a real tricky situation with their English clubs.

“Then when they walk into the facility at the Vale, they go wow. It’s an attraction. For us, it’s a carrot to try and get them here for the future.”

As for the A team, which is being re-introduced after a 15-year absence, John says every effort was made to get a fixture this term, but it just proved impractical.

“Getting a game in place before the end of this season is probably very difficult,” he admitted.

“We picked the team, we did the squad, we had the coaches lined up, with regional coaches involved, but we just couldn’t tie down a fixture.”