Five Wales players to watch at the World Rugby U20 Championship
The World Rugby U20 Championship is beginning to creep closer and we kick off our look at the northern hemisphere nations involved with Wales, identifying five key players who could make a significant impact over the next month.
Owen Watkin and Dillon Lewis are two of the most recent graduates from the U20s to the senior Wales side and these five players could well follow similar paths in the coming years.
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Corey Baldwin, Scarlets
Whilst it’s often the exceptional finishing of his regional and international teammate, Ryan Conbeer, that makes the highlight videos, Baldwin is the multi-faceted operator at outside centre that regularly facilitates the scores.
He has an eye for a gap and the speed to exploit it, but doesn’t shy away physically from contact, either, and has already shown himself to be a capable contributor at senior level, having made a handful of appearances for the Scarlets this season. If Wales can deliver him quick ball over the next month, he’ll make the opposition pay.
For all his attacking skills, though, his defensive work might be what proves most crucial to Wales over the coming weeks, with his side in the same pool as the prodigious back line threats of New Zealand, Australia and even Japan. If Wales want to emerge from that pool and qualify for the semi-finals, Baldwin’s decision-making in defence will be key.
Rhys Carre, Cardiff Blues
It feels as though Carre has been playing at this level for years, but that’s just a mark of the early impact he made as a strong scrummager and dangerous ball-carrier.
That leap to senior involvement with the Cardiff Blues hasn’t happened just yet but another U20 Championship will do no harm to Carre’s development, who could well turn into Gethin Jenkins’ long-term replacement at loosehead. If Wales want to unleash Baldwin, Carre will help shoulder the burden of keeping the Welsh pack moving forward consistently.
As valuable as his contributions in the loose are certain to be, his ability to anchor a scrum will be equally important, with Wales needing a consistent platform from which to launch their back line, something which they lacked during the U20 Six Nations.
Max Williams, Dragons
Thanks to an injury crisis at the Dragons earlier in the season, Williams has had his fair share of senior playing time over the last nine months.
The versatile lock/blindside did not look out of place in the senior game and will demonstrate his impressive strength and speed in the south of France this summer. He will most likely be deployed in the second-row, with Wales’ captain Tommy Reffell holding down the six jersey, where he will bring another important ball-carrying presence to the Welsh pack and operate as an able lineout option.
Keep an eye out for Williams’ impressive regional teammate Taine Basham, too, with the number eight likely to be a key contributor to Wales’ fortunes over the coming weeks.
Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, Ospreys
Having also played U18 rugby this season, Thomas-Wheeler is one of the newer faces in this Wales U20 side and one that could find an impactful role immediately.
The inside centre spot was a rotating door during the U20 Six Nations, with Callum Carson, Ioan Nicholas, Ben Thomas and Max Llewellyn all taking turns in the jersey and that lack of continuity is something that Thomas-Wheeler could take advantage of. He is certainly physical and that seems a prerequisite for Welsh centres at this level, but he is also a confident and accurate passer, a solid defensive option and would seem to complement Baldwin well in the midfield.
There are shades of Owen Watkin about Thomas-Wheeler and that’s a combination that both Ospreys and Wales fans can look forward to seeing in the years to come.
Ryan Conbeer, Scarlets
A name that many are already familiar with and many more are likely to be come the end of the U20 Championship next month, Conbeer is a walking highlight reel thanks to his exceptional speed and physics-defying finishing ability.
He’s no slouch in other areas of his game, either, and, at just 19 years of age, is beginning to push up into the fringes of the Scarlets senior squad. Like Baldwin, he’s another threatening offensive player that should only continue to improve under the tutelage of Wayne Pivac, but unlike Baldwin, Conbeer has another season at this level still to go following the conclusion of the Championship next month.
With Baldwin’s playmaking and Conbeer’s speed and finishing, the Welsh back line could be as deadly as any in the south of France next month, but will they have the platform to showcase it?
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
24 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
24 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
1 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
24 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
24 Go to comments