World-class aim for Wales age grade

During the three-day camp, which took place last week at the Vale, he says there was a lot of reflection from the summer: namely the World Cup in Georgia, and the U18 tour to South Africa.
 
“Across those two tournaments, you could say we started to implement what we’ve done on this camp,” Horsman says. “As much as we’ve had success these past few years with Grand Slams, good performances in World Cups and players transitioning to regional and international rugby, there’s been a focus from us as a group on discovering what world-class looks like.”
 
Horsman emphasises that this pursuit of a world-class environment isn’t just about players, but – perhaps more importantly – each department, from coaching to medical and beyond.
 
“We’ve had Huw Wiltshire come in from Cardiff Met to support us, which has been absolutely fantastic,” he says of the man synonymous with high performance in Welsh rugby. “We’ve definitely got a mindset where we’re really challenging each other from within. We’re comfortable with feeling uncomfortable, and that’s how we want the players to be as well.”
 
This year, there has been an acute focus on speed and decision-making, and Horsman adds that “hard work underpins everything we do”. As always at this level, the coaches want the players to express themselves, whilst ensuring their workrate is at a high level.
 
“As coaches, we’re there to help and guide the players, to create an environment where they actually come up with the answers,” says Horsman. “It’s not about us just saying ‘this is the answer to the problem you’re seeing on the field’, it’s about us posing them different problems, and them then coming up with the solutions. And do you know what? Sometimes the players come up with the best answers, not the coaches.”
 
In contrast to many nations, there is continuity between Wales’ age grade coaching structure, with Horsman and Geraint Lewis leading at U18 level, whilst also assisting head coach Jason Strange with the U20s. He describes it as a very close working relationship.
 
“It means the players are familiar with the environment – which isn’t to say they’re comfortable in it – so they know the expectations we have and the standards they need to reach,” he says. “We bring in different coaches – James Chapron from the Dragons, Danny Milton from Cardiff Met, and Cardiff Blues’ Rich Hodges – for both age groups, but with myself and Geraint doing both, it feels very joined up.
 
“We know and understand the players, which allows things to go a lot more smoothly. I’m not saying there’s a right or wrong way, but with separate coaching groups there can be a lot of settling in. Now we know the players, but more importantly the players know the expectations.”
 
There is hope those high expectations will be met next summer, with the World Rugby U20 Championship set to take place in France. Australia, Japan and New Zealand await Wales in Pool A.
 
Horsman says: “That tournament is ultimately what it’s all about for us. As I’ve said, we want to create a world-class, high performance environment, and at U20s level that’s New Zealand. We really have to challenge ourselves. We have to go to France believing we can beat Australia and New Zealand – not just saying we’re going to go out there and give it a go.
 
According to Horsman, there’s no reason why Wales can’t achieve good results in the tournament. “This group of players went to South Africa over the summer and beat them there, and South Africa are as good as any team at U18 level. We’ve got to have the confidence, and we’ve got to challenge ourselves as a coaching group.  
 
“The players have got to challenge themselves to go out there with the confidence to say ‘we can, we should and we will win’. It might not happen – that’s sport – but let’s go out with the mindset that we can go there and do it, and put everything in place to give them the best chance to do so.”
 
Those players who perform well will undoubtedly go on to achieve big things, as forwards specialist Horsman has witnessed first-hand. “What players like Dillon Lewis and Leon Brown have achieved in the last two years, representing the national side, is fantastic.  Then you’ve got the likes of Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti who’ve played regular regional rugby; Rhys Fawcett getting game time with Scarlets; Rhys Carre in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
 
“Having started out at U18 level, these guys are starting to come through at the top level. Ultimately, that’s what my job is about.”