Welsh Rugby Rebuild: Spotlight on Rising Stars for the Upcoming Season
Image Credit: Marc
Welsh rugby is undergoing a significant rebuild since the 2023 World Cup, with seasoned veterans like Dan Biggar, George North, and Alun Wyn Jones stepping down. This transition has provided an opportunity for fresh faces to step up, particularly during the Six Nations, allowing new players to gain valuable experience and a deeper understanding of what it means to wear the international jersey. Despite an underwhelming campaign, a bright spot was the youngsters stepping up, especially in the opening game against Scotland, where they mounted an impressive effort to get points on the board after a dominant 20-0 start by the away side. This article highlights three promising youngsters who are expected to shine in the upcoming season.
Dan Edwards
Edwards has been an exciting addition to the Ospreys backline this season, with the fly-half playing in 16 matches and starting 56% of the time. A notable strength of Edwards is his ability to make a significant impact in the limited time he spends on the pitch. An example of this was his 22 minutes against the Scarlets, where he tallied seven points in a home win. A standout performance for Edwards was his game against Ulster, where he was entrusted with the backline for the full eighty minutes. He demonstrated his quality that night, especially with his kicking, as he slotted away 14 points, contributing to the win. For the former Wales U20s captain, the upcoming season cannot come soon enough, as Edwards has the perfect opportunity to continue showcasing his skill and make a claim for the fly-half jersey on the international stage.
Eddie James
The Scarlets are aiming to build a dominant centre partnership over the next few years, banking on two promising powerhouses. While many might tip the thirteen Roberts as the better of the two due to his performances that earned him a Welsh call-up this past Six Nations, James has shown with his hardball carrying that he can also break into the Welsh squad. His strong performances in the URC at the business end of the season earned him a place on the trip to Australia with Wales, and hopefully, he will make a further impression when playing the Queensland Reds. Wales has plenty of options in the 12 and 13 spots, but James has the potential to add another impressive season to his resume and become a mainstay in the national team.
Morgan Morse
There are young players in rugby that fans like to keep an eye on, but that wouldn't do justice to this exciting young prospect. Rarely does a breakthrough star emerge, but Morse is the exception, and Welsh fans are delighted. The 19-year-old has made a significant impact in the URC this season as a back row player, showing that age is merely a number as he tore through the Cardiff Rugby team at the Brewery Field, scoring one of the best tries of this past URC campaign. The Ospreys performed the best out of the Welsh regions this season, and Morse can take credit as one of the key reasons. Apart from his exceptional ability and impressive size at just 19, one of Morse's biggest positives is that he managed to gather minutes in and amongst the squad while battling for the starting eight spot against Morgan Morris, who had an exceptional season. It's honestly a shock that Wales hasn't considered bringing him up to the national squad even with such a talented back row, but make no mistake, fans and media from not just Wales will be hearing plenty more of Morgan Morse soon.
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