Scarlets U18s head coach Tom Phillips says he has been encouraged by performances during the opening block of the WRU Regional Academy Championships.
The U18s saw victory snatched from their grasp at Llandovery’s Church Bank on Friday night after the Dragons crossed for a converted try with the last play of the game.
Five days earlier, the Scarlets almost produced a stunning comeback against unbeaten Cardiff at the Arms Park, with a last-minute counter-attack coming agonisingly close to clinching the win.
It meant the West Walians finished with a record of one victory (against RGC) and three defeats from the opening four matches as the competition makes way for Schools and Colleges rugby until the new year.
“A couple of results haven’t gone our way late on, but we have a lot of players transitioning from under-16s from last year and they have shown a lot of growth,” said Phillips.
“Every year we look at players we believe will push on to become future professional players and we certainly see a number in this group who have the qualities to become senior Scarlets.
“I have always said experience comes from playing rugby and these boys will have learned a lot from this block of fixtures.
“When you look back at the summer, around 60 boys had the chance to pull on the jersey in U17s and U18s fixtures and it is important to stress that there will always be opportunities for those who play well for their schools and colleges to push for a place in the squad for the second block in January.”
Phillips added: “We have seen Madoc Evans, who was playing U18s rugby last season, make his senior debut in Exeter; you have to remember Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, who has already played URC rugby was playing at the same level not so long ago.
“The U18s plays a crucial role in our pathway to the senior team and it is encouraging to see the quality of players coming through the system.”