All Blues front row for Wales U18
Tom Price, Rhys Williams and Scott Andrews will pack down alongside each other in the front row of the scrum as Wales look to improve on the 29-29 draw they secured in a trial match against the French Academies earlier in the season on French soil.
As well as providing half the pack, Merthyr’s Kristian Dacey is picked in the back row, the Blues also have James Loxton at fullback and Rhys Downes at scrum half.
After the French the Welsh team meets England at Hughenden on Wednesday April 11th (kick-off 5.00pm) and then Scotland at the same venue on Saturday April 14th (kick-off 3.00pm).
“The players have worked very hard as a group and we have taken a fully fit, and well prepared, squad to Scotland. All 26 players will get a starting place in one of the three games and the competition will be a huge showcase for them,” said Head Coach Simon King.
“We’ve told them all that this could be the start of some long international careers and it really is up to them to fulfil their obvious potential in Glasgow. They have competed exceptionally well in all our warm-up games for this tournament, but now it is for real.
“We know the French are going to be very physical up front, and England will have the strongest depth of all the squads, but we are ready to show what we are made of and I’m looking forward to these players giving a good account of themselves.”
Wales U18:
James Loxton (Llandaff/Blues)
Tomos Rees (Llandybie/Scarlets)
Jason Tovey (Newport/Dragons)
Ashley Beck (Neath/Ospreys)
Ryan Bayliss (Pelenna/Ospreys)
Dan Biggar (Gowerton/Ospreys)
Rhys Downes (Rhydyfelin/Blues)
Tom Price (Builth Wells/Blues)
Rhys Williams (Blues)
Scott Andrews (Llantrisant/Blues)
Lee Bray (Blackwood/Dragons)
Ashley Sweet (Pontypool United/Dragons)
Kristian Dacey (Merthyr/Blues)
Jack Shaw (Bridgend Athletic/Ospreys)
Rory Pitman (Ospreys)
Replacements:
Aaron Coundley (Blackwood/Dragons)
Ricky Guest (Llanelli/Scarlets)
Stewart Maguire (Chepstow/Dragons)
Dan Partridge (Llantwit Major/Blues)
Jake Thomas (Ynysybwl/Blues)
Lloyd Williams (Llandaff/Blues)
Joe Deacon (Rumney/Blues)
Lewis Mills (Rumney/Blues)
Adam Hughes (Croesyceiliog/Dragons)
Justin Tipuric (Trebanos/Ospreys)
Jason Harries (Carmarthen Quins/Scarlets)
