“The players will already have done some physical profiling, so when they come into camp we’ll have some idea of where they’re at physically,” sys Strange. “One of our main focuses therefore will be to identify their current form and build relationships in preparation for the Six Nations.
“We’ll also mainly be looking at principles of play: getting them to understand the style of play we’re looking for for the rest of the season.”
A high majority of the players will have come through the U18 pathway – be it at regional or international level – with some also from outside the system, including the Exiles programme. “We’ll also have players who’ve played really well in the Principality Premiership, which will give us an opportunity to have a closer look at them.”
Those Wales U18 players in particular will arrive full of confidence in light of their successful summer exploits in South Africa (where they beat the hosts and their English counterparts). Strange was part of that touring party, working with his fellow U20 coaches Chris Horsman and Geraint Lewis. He describes the tour as “an excellent occasion. I was really pleased to have been able to play a small part in it, managing to work closely with a lot of individuals. I gained good insight into them not just as players but off the field as well. It was good learning experience for myself and the players, and I’m sure we’ll reap the benefits of that this year at U20 level.”
Strange continued that learning experience this year when he was invited to be part of the senior Rugby Canada coaching set-up for their autumn campaign. “I took a huge amount away from it,” he says. “I couldn’t have had a better welcome from the Canadian staff and organisation – they were superb.
“The level of opposition and exposure I gained working at senior international level week to week, and the learnings I took from it, is priceless. I feel I’ve come away from it a better coach, which was the main objective.”
Strange, Lewis and Horsman will have taken great delight in seeing a number of their former U20 charges named in Warren Gatland’s national squad for this year’s Under Armour Series – players like Leon Brown and Elliot Dee. “It’s fantastic reward for those guys because I know how hard they’ve worked – not just in the last twelve months but the last three or four years,” Strange says. “They’ve made a lot of sacrifices to get to where they are, and it’ll hold them in good stead for the rest of their career.
“Hopefully our U18 and U20 programmes have played a part in that journey. It’s great for those young men coming into camp this week to know that people like Seb Davies and Adam Beard were in our programme 12-18 months ago, and that’s how close it is. They can only be inspired by that, because the 2019 Rugby World Cup is just around the corner. The likelihood is we may have one or two of this current group featuring in that.”
More imminently, a handful of recent U20 players will feature for Wales Sevens in Dubai this weekend: George Gasson, Phil Jones, Cameron Lewis and Will Talbot-Davies. “That’s a major positive at the moment. There’s a good alignment between sevens and the age groups – U18 especially. It’s always a good level of competition to push these players onto, particularly with the backs. We’ve seen it in the past with someone like Owen Lane: the amount of growth he experienced last year with Wales Sevens was great. He came back a lot more confident, a lot fitter.”
Indeed, Lane was named Man of the Match after his try-scoring performance in his Guinness Pro14 debut against Connacht last weekend. Strange is hoping for a similar outcome with Wales U18 star Tomi Lewis this season. “He’ll be with the sevens for the next two campaigns in Dubai and Cape Town, then he’ll come back to us in preparation for the U20 Six Nations. We also keep a regular line of communication with the regions, but ultimately we do what’s best for that player. Whatever opportunity they get to play at the highest level can only be a positive thing for their development.”
