It’s almost becoming clichéd to talk about youngsters within Welsh rugby.

This year alone, Wales head coach Warren Gatland has given full debuts to 11 players, with league convert Regan Grace also appearing in the uncapped match against the Reds.

Of those 11, only James Ratti is older than 24. Indeed, it is arguably an easier task currently to pick a 23 and under team to play for Wales than it is to pick one aged 30 plus.

While last year saw a lot of youngsters coming through, this year could be similar.

The regions have had to their budgets down again, this time to £4.5million and a raft of experienced players have left.

Sportin Wales takes a look at the new guys on the block:

Cardiff

Starting with the capital city region, there were plenty of success stories for Cardiff’s young guns on show last season with Cam Winnett, Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin, Evan Lloyd, Jacob Beetham and Ellis Bevan all earning international honours following impressive seasons.

This summer they have seen plenty of departures, including Welsh internationals Tomos Williams, Willis Halaholo, Owen Lane, Shane Lewis-Hughes and Rhys Carre.

There have been incomings with talented 18-year-old centre Steffan Emanuel having impressed this summer for Wales u20s after returning to Cardiff, along with 22-year-old prop Joe Cowell and back threes Iwan Stephens and Tom Bowen.

23-year-old Gabe Hamer-Webb has signed permanently having spent part of last season at the Arms Park and it will be interesting to see how the Welsh qualified wing fares for game time up against the likes of Josh Adams, Theo Cabango and Mason Grady.

Bowen is another who will be looking to eventually push his way into the back three equation having signed what Cardiff called a ‘long-term senior academy contract’.

The back three player returns after taking a scholarship with Clifton College and linking up the Bristol Bears.

On Bowen, Welsh international second row Teddy Williams, a youngster himself at 23 says: “Tom’s been with us from the start of preseason and you wouldn’t know he’s straight out of school with the way he’s handled himself.”

“I remember when I came in I felt a bit of an outsider, but fair play to him and Steffan Emmanuel they’ve slotted in seamlessly.”

Dragons

Gonzalo Betranou, Jack Dixon, Aki Seiuli, Lewis Jones and Bradley Roberts departed at various stages of last season but alongside 30-somethings Steven Cummins and Solomone Funaki Dragons have brought in plenty of talented youngsters.

Front and centre of those is 19-year-old fly-half Harri Ford who joins from RGC having shone for Wales U20s during the summer, particular against Spain.

He is joined by back rower Owen Conquer and hooker Oli Burrows who joins from Exeter.

Meanwhile, expect to see much more of highly rated back three Ewan Rosser after the 23-year-old impressed at fullback towards the back end of last season.

Dragons fans will be looking forward to the return of Wales U20s captains Harri Ackerman and Ryan Woodman from injury.

“Harri seems really positive with his injury recovery,” says fellow Dragons centre Aneurin Owen.

“When he’s on the field, even for how young he is, he’s been class in a Dragons jersey and there’s only more to come from him. Woodman has been class with the U20s, the way he led there, I can see him becoming more prominent now within the Dragons team.

“Huw Anderson is another who’s been really good with the U20s at fullback and has been really impressive in training. I feel at the moment there’s a nice balance between the young lads and the experiences boys which is good.”

Ospreys

In Sportin Wales co-founder Alex Cuthbert, Nicky Smith and George North, Ospreys saw 224 Wales caps depart the region this summer.

The signing of scrum half Kieran Hardy will add to their experience meanwhile talented centre Phil Cokanasiga appears a shrewd signing.

Expect to see more gametime for youngsters Morgan Morse and Dan Edwards after the former became Wales’ most capped player at Under 20s level this summer at the age of 19.

Another who will be looking for more opportunities is hooker Lewis Lloyd. The 21-year-old entered last season as fourth choice behind the likes of Welsh internationals Dewi Lake and Sam Parry, however, he shone particularly against Sale at the Brewery Field.

“Lewis is someone who is exciting, gives 100% every time he plays and is a good prospect coming through,” says Justin Tipuric.

“Also in the forwards with us losing Nicky Smith it’s an opportunity for the likes of Garyn Phillips and Steff Thomas who both have a big potential. Steff has had a few injuries but will be looking to kick on this season.

“Fingers crossed James Fender can continue from where he was last season before the injury and push towards getting in a Welsh jersey and look out for fellow second row Liam Edwards who is a big lump in the second row coming through. While I expect we’ll see more of Tristan Davies in the ever competitive back row.

“Then in the backs there’s the likes of Harri Houston who I thought performed well in the little bits we saw of him last season. We see a lot of his talent in training and I’m excited for the fans and media to see what we see day-to-day.

“Hopefully we’ll see more of the youngsters this season with not as much strength-in-depth as we have had in the past particularly when you have a few injuries.” 

Scarlets

Scarlets have seen a raft of experience leave this summer. While they kept hold of Tongan international pair Sam Lousi and Vaea Fifita, Welsh internationals Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Wyn Jones, Hardy, Samson Lee, Johnny McNicholl and Ken Owens all left.

371 Wales caps are hard to replace and while experience has arrived in the form of Henry Thomas, Alec Hepburn, Marnus van der Merwe and Max Douglas, it is set to be a very young Scarlets side at the start of the season.

Macs Page who shone so brightly for Llandovery at the end of last season will be one to look out for, having scored a hattrick for Wales U20s against Australia in the summer.

The centre or wing has yet to nail down a position but will expect further gametime with the departures of Davies and Williams along with win Ryan Conbeer.

Another versatile player is New Zealand born Blair Murray who at 22 has moved from New Zealand to West Wales. Welsh qualified through his mother from Tonyrefail, Murray can play at fly-half, wing or at fullback and it will be interesting to see where he lines up this season.

“In training Murray has been playing a lot on the wing, he’s been looking good and is obviously fast,” says Scarlets’ Ioan Nicholas.

“He’s looking really sharp in the wide channels, poaching around the rucks as well.

“There’s a lot of exciting players coming through our forwards as well but in the backs there’s Macs Page obviously and Jack Davies who played very well last season, scoring some lovely tries for Llandovery.

“He got a bit unlucky with the broken leg but he and Macs have been playing very well so hopefully they get a shot this year.”

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