In two weeks time all four of Wales’ professional clubs will begin their United Rugby Championship campaigns and will be hoping to improve on last season where the Ospreys were the only Welsh side to reach the play-offs.
This time around they will be operating from a salary cap of just £4.5m meaning they all face an uphill challenge when it comes to challenging for honours. One man who will be taking a keen interest is Wales head coach Warren Gatland will already be thinking ahead to the autumn internationals this November.
But it is not only the country’s senior internationals Gatland will be monitoring closely but also those who impressed for Wales U20s in South Africa this summer. If there is one positive which could potentially come out of the financial constraints at the professional clubs is that younger talent will be pushed forward far sooner.
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Rugby correspondent Steffan Thomas takes a look at the Welsh kids who are in contention to win senior caps this season.
Ryan Woodman
The Dragons blindside has captained Wales U20s for the last couple of seasons and is a natural leader of men. Having spent a day within the Wales U20s camp in June, it hit home to me how much respect there is for the 20-year-old from his coaches and teammates.
When Woodman speaks, people listen, while his rugby IQ is also very high. During his time on the sidelines last season with a thumb injury Woodman put on some much-needed size and the 6ft 5in and 16st 11lbs backrower looks ready to make his mark on the professional game.
Woodman broke into the Dragons side at the end of last season but 2024/25 is likely to be the time he proves he can mix it with the best in the URC. The rising star is an excellent lineout forward with a huge work rate who does a lot of the unseen dirty work which allows other players to do their jobs.
Woodman is also a strong carrier who is destructive in defence. It’ll take a bit of time for him to find his feet but a place on next summer’s tour of Japan is not out of the question.
Morgan Morse
Those who follow Welsh rugby religiously will not be surprised to see Ospreys backrower Morse included in this list. He is still only 19-years-old but Morse is a very special talent and there are those within the Ospreys who are adamant he is one of the best prospects ever to come out of their academy.
Morse impressed last season for the Ospreys and will be hoping to take his game to another level this time around. Who can forget the former Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera pupil’s long range try in the mud of the Brewery Field against Cardiff on New Year’s Day.
Morse has an outstanding all-court game but can cover the entire backrow, although he has mainly been employed at No 8. The Ospreys man is an explosive ball carrier capable of making significant post contact metres both in the tight and wider channels.
He is also superb at the breakdown, has an excellent offloading game while he is relentless in defence. But it’s arguably his ability to read the game faster than others which really sets him apart.
A first senior cap for Wales is imminent.
Macs Page
The former Swansea footballer was outstanding for Wales U20s in South Africa this summer, so much so he was named in the official team of the tournament. Page is a wonderfully gifted footballer who can cover both centre and the back three but it is in midfield where both the Scarlets and Wales see his future.
Page may not be the biggest player in the world but he is and extremely explosive and powerful player who can be difficult to handle. The 19-year-old has top end pace and blistering footwork and tons of peripheral vision while he is a player who can create chaos out of nothing.
The Scarlets have lost a few players in the back three while Joe Roberts is on the long-term injured list so one would expect Page to have plenty of game time this season. He still has things to work on and fans will have to be patient but his ceiling is very high.
Louie Hennessey
The 20-year-old plies his trade over the Severn Bridge for Bath and is someone Gatland will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on. Powerful centre Hennessey is somebody with the potential to become a central figure for Wales at senior level in the coming seasons, but the only concern is how much rugby he will actually get at Bath this season.
Hennessey is a powerful centre who can easily get over the gainline and who regularly makes significant post contact metres. But his point of difference is his offload which is not too dissimilar to All Blacks great Sonny Bill Williams and could be a big asset to Wales in the long-run.
One man who knows is well acquainted with Hennessey is Cardiff Rugby academy manager Gruff Rees. “Athletically we always thought he was going to be good enough to thrive at professional level and then international level,” Rees told WalesOnline back in July. “What I like about Louie is he’s smart, takes things on board and he’s also developed his defensive game over the past few months.
“I think most coaches in the modern game are looking for triple threat centres. He’s starting to develop that and seeing the game a little bit differently.
“We know he can run the line and he’s got a good understanding of partner plays but he’s adding things to his game all the time and he can execute under pressure as well.”
Theo Cabango
When Gatland held court with journalists to discuss his summer squad he made it clear that Cabango would have made the cut had he not suffered a groin injury on Judgement Day. The 22-year-old is a real livewire with top end pace and electric footwork while the Cardiff man is also a very good finisher.
Towards the end of last season Cabango had also become far more physical in contact while his defensive and aerial game had improved. If he can stay fit and recapture the form he showed at the end of last season then he stands a good chance of making Gatland’s autumn squad.
Wales should have Josh Adams available again after the Cardiff wing was rested for the summer tour of Australia while Rio Dyer, Liam Williams and Josh Hathaway are also options but Cabango arguably offers something a bit different.
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