Young: We are making big strides (From South Wales Argus)

Young: We are making big strides

11:00am Friday 17th February 2012 in Dragons

JUNIOR Academy manager Paul Young believes the Dragons’ youth set-up is making strides in its bid to pick up the strain amid the Welsh player drain, writes Chris Kirwan.

The four regions are finding it hard to hold on to their top talent and compete with the spending power of French clubs.

And Young, who heads the coaching team at the Dragons’ programme at Coleg Gwent, Cross Keys, thinks the key to churning out potential replacements starts with the message from the top.

“I think that this Dragons coaching set-up are putting their necks on the line to ensure that they have players coming through,” he said. “That hasn’t always been the case.

“They are willing to invest in these youngsters and put the right processes in place and they need to be supported by everyone in the region.

“I don’t think that our young talent needs to look at New Zealand for inspiration anymore, they just need to look at the Welsh team and the likes of Sam Warburton, George North and Dan Lydiate.

“These pathways can work so let’s buy into it as a region and put the foundations in place.

“I think that the current coaching team are doing that and looking to develop talent rather than just bring in foreign players. Too many things have previously been ad hoc but now I feel that there is a direction.

“To know that the senior Dragons coaches are placing such an importance on getting the pathways right gives huge encouragement throughout the region. As coaches we know that we have a massive role to play in bringing players through.

“We are playing catch-up with the other regions but the future is looking brighter, I think we just need to make sure the clubs buy into it.”

The success of the Coleg Gwent programme, in its third year, provides reason for optimism and it is going to be used as a blueprint for more academy bases across the region.

The Wales Under-18s feature 10 players from the junior academy (as well as Monmouth School’s Hallam Amos), while three represented Wales Under-19s in a development fixture against England and Dom Franchi made his Wales Under-20s bow against Scotland last week.

“It’s about setting high standards and creating the right environment, a tough environment,” said Young.

“We need to replicate a professional surrounding and if the boys have the hunger and desire they’’ll come through. Some players have dropped out because it’s tough, which in a sense is what we want to achieve. We need players who will stick it out and come through.

“We have got guys that get up at 6am to come down from Tredegar, if they’ve got that dedication at this age they will come through.”

Former hooker Young, capped by Wales against Romania in 2003, spent four years with Galwegians in Ireland, the same club where Warren Gatland cut his coaching teeth.

And he believe that the Coleg Gwent set-up – which comprises of conditioning coach Josh Robinson, sklls coach Mark Ring, analysts Jon Gardner and Owen Griffiths – is not only of benefit for the young talent.

“I think that we are all developing as coaches and have ambition to move up the ladder, I certainly don’t want to become stale,” said Young.

“There is nothing better than seeing these young players take things on board and improve both on the field and as people.

“But hopefully the environment that we have worked really hard to create will lead for opportunities for us coaches just as it will for the players.”