They played like a team and did the basics really well. They have even been coached to take the ball at pace, coming from deep and running straight at a gap. When did we last see a senior player doing that? Because this was primarily a team effort I will just mention two names:

Harvey Thomas at no.8 has the size, skill and most of all presence to go on. He wreaked havoc amongst the opposition in many aspects of the game. He could be a top player

Madoc Evans at fly half seems to have all the skills that CLJ had last year. Perhaps more. A year behind CLJ and growing on under the cover of all the CLJ noise might be the best thing for him. But he looks to be a very complete fly half.

Pardon my ignorance Jophn but I am assuming its the Scarlets 18's - who were they playing? If Scarlets 18's - Scott take a bow. 

15 Rhys Wyatt (Coleg y Cymoedd, Llantwit Fardre RFC); 14 Owain Llyr Hywel (Ysgol Penweddig, Aberyswyth RFC), 13 Jayden Brown (Llandovery College, Porthcawl RFC), 12 Harri Davies (Ammanford College, Llandeilo RFC), 11 Noa Harries (Llandovery College, Newcastle Emlyn RFC); 10 Madoc Evans (Coleg Sir Gar, Tenby RFC), 9 Alfie Luger (Llandovery College, Tenby RFC), 1 Ceian Lewis (Coleg Sir Gar, Amman Utd), 2 Cole Lacey (Coleg Sir Gar, Amman Utd), 3 Ollie Tucker (Llandovery College, Tenby RFC), 4 Hefin Hughes (Coleg Sir Gar, Amman Utd RFC), 5 Ifan Gravell-Jones (Ysgol y Strade, Burry Port RFC), 6 Keir Creasey (Ysgol Penweddig, Aberystwyth RFC), 7 Jac Cloke (capt; Coleg Sir Gar, Amman Utd), 8 Harvey Thomas (Llandovery College, Haverfordwest RFC)

Reps: 16 Noah Evans (Gower College, Llandeilo RFC), 17 Sam Cawsey (Llandovery College, South Gower RFC), 18 Dai Thomas (Ysgol Dyffryn Amman, Amman Utd), 19 Ryan Lanfear (Ysgol y Strade, Burry Port RFC), 20 Austin Sandford (Ysgol Penglais, Aberystwyth RFC), 21 Aled Skyrme (Christ College Brecon, Gwernyfed RFC), 22 Deio Thomas (Hartpury College, Newcastle Emlyn RFC), 23 James Bentley (Ysgol Dyffryn Amman, Amman Utd RFC).

Yes Scarlets v RGC. There will be tougher oppostion in the weeks to come. And yes Scott is one of the coaches. They look like a well coached team but last year, so were the Os and Cardiff. There are quite a few very good youngish coaches about inspite of Reddin-originated propaganda.

  Great news! thanks John!

Are these games on the internet somewhere to watch?

I doubt it. Yes we had a camera there, which was connected to a laptop, studied by an analyst. And I hope, in the spirit of decency, the film would be made available to RGC. But that I suspect, is as far as it would go.

Appreciate the report, John. Big 8 please!

Yes, and played in the back row with Harvey Thomas moving into the second row. As the match wore on and the subs came on, our pack got more and more dominant. I would not want to credit any individual because it was a team effort. They can expect rougher, tougher packs in the weeks to come. Our two starting locks for instance look far to slight to play as locks but wreaked havoc with the RGC lineout. If they can do that for the other games, they're good prospects but, somewhere, there's some big bullies to come.

Unfortunately, size or lack of it, eliminates alot of youngstersfrom being top class players.

I’d like to see the best metric is the effect a player has on the game.

“Ye cannae beat the laws o’ physics”

There’s a reason George North got capped at 18

To say he had zero speed would have been generous to him he constantly stood on my toes and ran into my running line making me unable to tackle.

Big things were expected of him as his old man had won Welsh Youth Caps he finally left our club to join a team worse than ours, his first game for them he came on as a sub then was subbed after 20 mins.

As you say mindset is more important I’ve seen players half “big lad above” size but hit harder just through being up for a battle.

I hear the same story every year about the Pro teams saying players need to change to Hooker or Prop and I don’t like it.

I was tall so got put into the second row but that wasn’t my strength a decent coach would see that my strength was my fitness and getting to more rucks mauls and being able to get turnovers not by being strong but by beating the opposition to breakdowns.

My point being it’s hugely frustrating to be played out of position and not being able to show your best.

Love it Wil - when I see Scott next I shall mention "robust" - term of endearment of course. 

I’m hoping these boys get lots of games under their belts by the time some of them get into the Pro game.

I've always been fascinated by the studies they did on Canadian Ice Hockey and how kids who were older in the age groups (and therefore more physically developed) were the ones who got picked up for the higher level training camps, and therefore improved more (and had access to better physical training, nutrition etc.), and then obviously got picked up again because they were bigger and better, so that when the kids who were younger physically matured to the same degree they weren't as skilled and were largely outside the system. 

Good reasoning for having sides by size not age. 

Also I've always through that they use balls that are always too big for them at age grades. You don't stick a future cyclist on a full-sized racing bike at 8!

It's always tricky. I was an excellent outside centre at 15/16 (if I do say so myself!) but being small, quick, tricksy and chopsy, when everyone else grew I ended up at scrum half. Never had the same natural instincts for it, but as the game turned professional, never had the physical attributes for centre. 

This is the club Exeter picked up Daffdd Jenkins from.

I haven’t seen any of our U18 matches this season, but there seems to have been a significant improvement from their first couple of matches. If their season had started in January as usual they might’ve qualified for the final themselves. 

Loving that!

Good effort lads, well done.

  Great news ! thanks John!

🔴 Scarlets U18s 57

🟡 Dragons U18s 12

Tries: Rhys Jones (2), Ashton Owen, Alfie Luger, Jayden Brown, Cole Lacey, Rhys Owen, Rhys Wyatt, Aled Skyrme

Cons: Madoc Evans (4), Toby Slater (2)

Llongyfarchiadau bois!!

#nextgeneration

Forget this page copied wrong link 

The coaching team have done a great job with the boys and you can see Emyr Phillips make a big difference heading the academy up. 

The front row went very well in the two games I saw. If he's the blond lad, yes he is very promising. I see he's down as playing loose head last night so he hasn't settled on a side. Even  more valuable. 

Hefin Hughes is also Llandeilo (appreciate that correction is only important to very few!)

Loads of Amman Valley boys in that squad!

Just asking for a few friends 

It’s a poor return from both Carmarthen clubs this year, the Athletic could not field a youth side so merged with Kidwelly youth and the Quins youth are having a fairly poor season by their normal standards.

Amman Utd youth (Prob fuelled by Shane Williams) are the best side in the area and St Clears arnt bad either, I am told they recruited players from other sides.

I've watched the games in Llandovery in the past two seasons and really enjoyed them. My farming neighbour came to the Dragons game and was really surprised by the standard. He moved from England a few years ago and was involved in youth rugby before he came to Wales so knows what he's talking about. It wasn't just the tries he was impressed by but the organisation, skills and nitty gritty at close quarters. 

There are issues- the North Walians are smaller and off the standard in many respects and the Dragons are similarly inclined as well. The three other regions though have got their act together. Which leads to the next question: do away with the Ospreys altogether and that just leaves 2 teams of the required standard. Can you keep the Ospreys academy going as a separate entity without the senior set up?

Hey Will , we could have an all Tenby half back paring of Madoc Evans  and

Archie Hughes.  Tenby utd have produced half backs for Llanelli  in the past with Brian Diment in the 60's and Ben Childs in the 80's thatvI can remember.

I mentioned Madoc after the North Wales U18s game. He was a bit untidy against the Dragons but there is alot of promise there. Long may he progress in the shadow of CLJ.  And the current U18s fly half is Alfie Luger from Tenby RFC. 

Cole Lacey 

Harvey Thomas

Rhys Owen

Jac Cloke

Ollie Tucker 

Alfie Luger 

Madoc Evans 

Jayden Brown

Well done boys!