THE WELSH YOUNG GUNS PLAYING IN EXILE
WALES coach Wayne Pivac has started a drive to bring exiles home with Liam Williams and Rhys Webb having already made the move.
Cardiff Blues-bound prop Rhys Carre will join them while Nick Tompkins could also be making a move to a Welsh region from Saracens.
Promising outside-half or centre Luke Scully is another to sign for the Blues after leaving Worcester Warriors while Wales Under-20 outsidehalf prospect Sam Costelow is joining the Scarlets from Leicester Tigers.
Lock forward Rhys Davies is finishing at Bath and versatile back Mat Protheroe at Bristol Bears with both having put pen to paper on deals at the Ospreys.
But there are still a number of outstanding young Welsh players on the books of clubs in England.
WalesOnline Rugby Correspondent ANDY HOWELL has focused on them as he picks his list of 20 names to monitor...
LOUIS REES-ZAMMIT
IT may be stating the obvious to have the teenage try machine top of the pile after he was named by Pivac in his Wales squad for the Six Nations.
But it shouldn’t be forgotten the lethal Gloucester wing finisher only turned 19 in February and is certainly one for the future.
TOMMY REFFELL
THE Leicester Tigers flanker is in the Ellis Jenkins and Sam Warburton mould, being a former Wales Under20 captain and an unyielding force over the ball at the breakdown.
The abrasive 21-year-old forward was named Premiership Rugby Cup Breakthrough Player this season and is viewed as a major prospect by Leicester.
Along with the other players on this list, he can be capped by Wales from his current club because he hasn’t any to his name at senior level.
SEAN LONSDALE
NORTH Wales region RGC has produced some fine talent and back-five forward Lonsdale is one to watch.
The 22-year-old has already appeared 31 times for Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs after being lured to Sandy Park by the scouting work of their head honcho Rob Baxter.
Lonsdale, who went to school in Colwyn Bay and qualifies for Wales through his mother, has just agreed a “long-term” deal with the Devon club, which highlights how highly they rate him.
CALLUM SHEEDY
BORN and bred in Cardiff, he moved to the west country to attend Millfield School and signed for Bristol Bears in 2014.
Been an important influence at outside-half during their rise up the Gallagher Premiership but it remains unclear if he has Wales ambitions.
Sheedy is also eligible for Ireland through family and for England on residency. Appeared for an England XV against the Barbarians last year in a non-cap match, so his Test options remain open.
HARRY RANDALL
A Welsh-speaker who grew up in the Amman Valley and captained Wales U16s, but was born in Slough and switched allegiance to the land of his birth, playing for England U20.
Just turned 22, the little but livewire scrum-half has made a big impression with Bristol since joining from Gloucester. Isn’t tied to England so is still in frame to be tapped up by Wales for Test rugby.
COREY BALDWIN
THE talented youngster has bagged a plum move to join a sizeable Welsh contingent at Exeter.
The former Wales Under-20 centre or wing, who also qualifies for England, is regarded as a serious prospect by the Chiefs.
IOAN LLOYD
WAS handed a four-year deal by Bristol at the age of 17 and his potential has been demonstrated this season with his try-scoring exploits off the bench in the Premiership and Europe’s Challenge Cup.
Figured for Wales in this season’s Under-20 Six Nations at full-back but outside-half looks his best position.
TOBY FRICKER
BORN in England, but has played for Wales Sevens through his father originating from Builth Wells.
Was picked up by Bristol in March last year after being spotted shining for Welsh Premiership club Ebbw Vale and has featured on the wing at Ashton Gate.
SAM WAINWRIGHT
ANOTHER prospect to roll off the north Wales production line, the former Rhyl RFC prop was a regular for RGC in the Welsh Premiership and was capped by Wales U20s in 2018.
The 22-year-old tight-head made his debut for Champions Cup holders Saracens against Wasps in September.
CALLUM MORRIS
THE dual-qualified scrum-half played for Wales U18 and was previously with the Dragons Academy before joining Worcester Warriors.
The 20-year-old made his first team debut for the Gallagher Premiership outfit this season, ironically against the Dragons in the European Challenge Cup.
ALEX MORGAN
THE Cardiff-born winger was in the Wales U20 Six Nations squad last year and has already appeared for
Gloucester at senior level.
STEPHEN VARNEY
THE son of popular former Neath flanker Adrian Varney was born and bred in Pembokeshire, yet has played at scrum-half for Italy, who he qualifies for through his mother, at U18 and U20 level.
But he’s not tied to Italy and could still play for Wales if the call came.
NICK ENGLISH
THE 21-year-old Bristol Bears tighthead prop, who comes from Caldicot, went with Wales to the U20 World Championship in Argentina last summer and is developing nicely.
JOE HEYES
THE 20-year-old Leicester Tigers prop was born in Nottingham and has starred for England U20 after previously being a goalkeeper for the Nottingham Forest Academy.
He’s the son of Swansea-born former professional football goalkeeper Darren Heyes and the grandson of ex-Swansea City goalkeeper George Heyes.
HARRY FRY
SCHOOLED in Radyr and started out at Pentyrch RFC, but made his debut at prop for England U18s last year having gone down the well-trodden Hartpury College/Gloucester Academy route. WAS still a pupil at Cardiff’s Whitchurch High, the former school of Sam Warburton, and was held in high esteem by its rugby department when he opted to he signed a fouryear Academy deal with Exeter last summer.
A product of Rhiwbina RFC, he’s a 6ft 6ins second row who has played for Wales at U18 level.
JAC LLOYD
THE younger brother of Ioan. Another No.10 talent who is part of the Bristol Academy and been studying at Clifton College.
IWAN JENKINS
A former pupil of Y Pant School, in Talbot Green, the teenage outsidehalf was signed up by Exeter on an Academy contract last year.
TOMMY MATTHEWS
THE Gloucester centre played alongside Rees-Zammit for Wales U18 in last year’s Six Nations festival.
HARRY BARLOW
A centre at London club Harlequins who helped England beat Wales in an U19 international in Bridgend last year, but also Welsh-qualified through a grandparent.