Young Welsh talent summoned by Wales just days before facing Lions captain

Full-back Lewis Edwards and second-row Will Evans were among the latest Welsh youngsters brought in to Wales' latest alignment camp.

As part of Steve Tandy's bid to bring all the parts of Welsh rugby closer together to improve the national team's development, the Wales coach has held alignment camps throughout the year. On a few occasions over the course of last season, Tandy brought in around 50 players at a time for these camps.

The first two of those alignment camps were purely classroom-based, with little rugby training. Instead, it's about getting players familiar with the game model.

Earlier in the summer, U20s trio Deian Gwynne, Steffan Emanuel and Edwards were believed to have been involved in one of the alignment camps.

And, this week, Ospreys full-back Edwards was understood to be once again present, with Scarlets fly-half Gareth Anscombe confirming on the SportIn Wales podcast that young second-row Evans was also in attendance.

JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more

Both have been tipped for bright futures in the game.

"He's got a point of difference in his aerial game," said Wales U20s Richard Whiffin about Edwards earlier this year.

"What we've seen this tournament which we probably didn't get an opportunity to see during the Six Nations was his kicking game.

"I think the length of his kicking game has been outstanding.

"He's just grown into the role. Getting consistent game time has meant he's been able to show the best part of himself.

"He's a big physical man with a lovely skillset as well. He was in the SRC team of the year for a reason because he played consistently well when he was available for Swansea.

"I am actually really looking forward to seeing him get an opportunity in that Ospreys shirt because he's got something different to a lot of the fifteens who are around at the moment.

"His aerial game is a point of difference which suits the Test arena."

Whiffin had also called lock Evans a "standout physically", with the player himself telling WalesOnline he wanted to be an "enforcer" in the Scarlets pack.

"Will Evans is the guy that I think could come from nowhere," said Whiffin previously. "He’s an absolute enforcer. He is definitely a sleeper, he’s going to move some bodies in the URC."

Scarlets coach Bradley Davies is also thought to think highly of the second-row.

“Bradley loves him," said former Wales full-back Liam Williams earlier this year. "I was down at the Scarlets at the back end of last year and Brad absolutely loves him. He'll run through a brick wall."

Evans started for the Scarlets in their final pre-season match against Saracens on Friday, going up against England international George Martin and Lions captain Maro Itoje.

However, the lock held his own. "Will Evans is 19 years old," said Scarlets director of rugby Nigel Davies afterwards. "What an experience playing against the quality of opposition.

"And he came through really strong."

As for Edwards, he was featuring for Swansea RFC this weekend in Super Rygbi Cymru, having played a part in the Ospreys' two pre-season friendlies.

Like a lot of the Wales U20s group from earlier this year, it looks like there's bound to be more minutes at senior level coming for both.

Whether that translates to international call-ups is too soon to say. Whiffin certainly believes both are capable.

However, simply by being in an alignment camp, any call-up will be made that little bit easier if and when it does come.

The larger alignment camps are just one way of helping Wales' fortunes, with coaches also doing smaller scale sessions with players from around Wales.

“It’s just connecting,” said Tandy earlier this year. “Some of it, you can review how you hit the ground running.

“You can talk a bit more about the games and the connection bits. There’s a classroom, it’s all desk-based.

“Whether it’s learning about our conditioning linked to the Six Nations, it could be updating nutritional things.

“It could be robustness - how you keep yourself out of injuries in between campaigns. It’s about connection and how we feel we can add value and growth to the individuals.”