The serious Wales teenage talent tipped as an international star of the future
Wales have some serious talent at outside-half emerging from the pathway
Ask anyone who works within the Wales age-grade system to select a handful of players likely to develop into senior international stars of the future and you can bet your bottom dollar they'll single out Carwyn Leggatt-Jones.
At senior level Wales have struggled to fill the considerable void left by Dan Biggar but the Welsh Rugby Union are quietly confident there are solutions to that problem within the pathway. One player who has been tipped as a future international is Wales U18s outside-half Leggatt-Jones, who looks to have a bright future ahead of him.
The 17-year-old was outstanding for Wales U18s in the victory over Ireland U18s last week with his running game, distribution, speed of thought, goal kicking and all-round control playing a pivotal role in the win. "I'm a triple threat player and I can manage a game as well," Leggatt-Jones tells WalesOnline when asked what his point of difference is.
"I'm quite a relaxed player on the field and I don't dwell on mistakes. It's about having strong fundamentals but still having fun when you are playing.
"When I was coming through secondary school I studied Damian McKenzie very closely. I like the way he played.
"Just the style of play he had. I like Richie Mo'unga as well, just the way he makes line breaks and how slow he holds his feet off the back of pods and stuff to draw people in.
"He's interesting to watch. I want to be able to bring players onto me and put people in space but then if there's space there I want to be able to take that and make breaks as well."
Leggatt-Jones is a west Walian who first picked up a rugby ball with his hometown club Carmarthen Quins before breaking into the Scarlets U16s set-up, earning a place at the prestigious Llandovery College. The rising star is an all-round sportsman and has also played cricket for Wales at age-grade level.
"I played for Wales since I was 13 but I had to stop last year because I was unavailable for most of the games," he said. "Cricket was always second for me behind rugby.
"I only joined because one of the boys from rugby's dad was coach and they were low on numbers. I went along and got obsessed with it for a little bit but it was always rugby first for me."
Many talented Welsh rugby players at age-grade level have taken up scholarships in England at institutions such as Clifton, Millfield and Hartpury while joining the academies of Gallagher Premiership clubs. But Leggatt-Jones is adamant Llandovery College and the Scarlets is the best place for his development.
"I did have a couple of offers to go across the bridge but the Scarlets believed in me quite early and put their trust in me," he said. "They brought me in at 14 so I wanted to pay them back by staying with them. Also, I can't fault the environment they've put me in.
"I don't see any reason to leave the Scarlets."
Jones goes on to outline the outstanding set-up at Llandovery College under the expert tutelage of director of rugby Nathan Thomas and is full of praise for his Scarlets academy coach Scott Sneddon. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
Leggatt-Jones has helped spearhead Llandovery College to two successive Welsh Schools and Colleges league titles, scoring an outrageous 50-metre drop goal in the victory over Coleg y Cymoedd in the final, while he also won the Regional Age Grade U18s competition with the Scarlets U18s last season.
So, how does it all work? "I am currently studying for my A levels so I do PE, Psychology and Business at the moment. I have to balance that alongside my rugby," he explains.
"At Llandovery we train Monday, Tuesday and Friday with a game on Wednesday. You'll train straight after school and then you have your dinner.
"They try to tailor it towards rugby so everyone eats good food. In the evening you'll have your gym slots depending on what year you're in.
"So, if you are a year 12 back you'll be in at a certain time and the same for a year 13 forward. You'll also get your S&C coaches helping you out.
"The Scarlets will look at the college block and they'll select a squad for the RAG block. It's quite linked. With the Scarlets we train on a Saturday so I'll be in with all the Coleg Sir Gar boys and Dyffryn Amman boys etc. We are all together so you never really leave the environment.
"You are always there so when it does come to the RAG it's not an unfamiliar environment to be in. My goal is to be a pro rugby player but if I was to have a job it would probably still be in rugby.
"It would probably be on the analysis side of the game. I quite enjoy picking stuff up and seeing where we can exploit teams.
"I'm a bit of a rugby guru!"
It's put to Leggatt-Jones that there is a lot of hype around him but the teenager has his feet stuck firmly to the ground and insists he thrives under pressure. "I would say I quite enjoy pressure," he said. "I like having that responsibility of being under pressure and managing games as a 10.
"I really enjoy challenges. These games I've played against the likes of Ireland and Georgia I quite enjoy the battle of that.
"But I am part of a strong team and there's loads of very good players in this Wales U18s squad. I think Tom Howe (hooker) is definitely a player to keep your eye on.
"He's explosive and a real threat with ball in hand and D. I think Jack Harrison (centre) has been outstanding over these last two games.
"He's shown his attributes in attack and defence along with his kicking game. Bailey Cutts (centre) is class as well. He's come in quite late to the camps because of an injury but he's also shown that he can be a ball player and put people in space."
So, what are his medium to long-term goals? "Next season I want to be playing regularly in the SRC (Super Rygbi Cymru) for Carmarthen Quins and maybe push to get in the Wales U20s squad," he said. "I want to see if I can string a few good performances together for Quins and try to break into the senior (Scarlets) team."
With the likes of Leggatt-Jones, Math Jones, Harri Wilde, Harri Ford and Ben Coomer set to burst onto the professional scene over the next few seasons it looks like the famous Welsh outside-half factory might not be dead after all. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.