A pleasing start to their International Series campaign saw the Welsh youngsters triumph 22-6 against Scotland at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park. Milton will have been even more pleased than usual that the visitors were unable to cross the whitewash, since he has switched from backs coach to defence coach for this year’s campaign.
“It’s been really interesting in terms of changing our roles going into this camp. I’ve been lucky to swap with James Chapron – who’s done the defence for a long time – so he’s been mentoring me with that process,” explained Milton, who has found the transition very interesting. “In the first 15 to 20 minutes, Scotland played with a lot of width and put us under a fair bit of pressure, so that’s certainly one area we’re going to be looking at improving on.”
As a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching and PE at Cardiff Met, whose rugby team he also coaches, Milton understands the nuances of a positive working environment. “We’ve been together as coaches for the past three years and get on and work well together,” he said. “We share the same mentality about the development of players and starting them on that journey through the international pathway.”
The mix between university and international age group is well suited to him. “Being part of different environments, you get the opportunity to learn but also offer another perspective on things.” Is the U18 and university age bracket more conducive to taking new information on board? “It’s a really nice age group because it gives you that opportunity to work with people who are still really keen to develop and learn. For me, that’s a crucial part of the game, and that willingness to keep learning shouldn’t go away at senior level.”
Wales warmed up for the International Series with a 29-19 win against England in Ebbw Vale – a ‘measuring stick’ result, according to Milton. “Over the last three years, we’ve beaten them twice in that early international and then gone on to lose to them by a point,” he said. “They’ve got a fantastic age group set-up and a lot of boys to choose from, so for us to be competing and getting some good results against them is really pleasing. The experience of beating England and other top sides as they go through the pathway is really important.”
The International Series moves to Parc y Scarlets tomorrow, with Wales facing Canada in the final game of the day. There will be several changes to the Welsh line-up in Llanelli, something Milton sees as necessary at this level of the game: “It’s essential over course of a series like this to give everybody an opportunity. We need to see how they react in the Welsh jersey against tough opponents.” Canada suffered a 55-11 reverse in Taffs Well in the first game of the series last Saturday, but are a physical force to be reckoned with. “They’re going to be direct, and we’ve got to match that physicality and stick to our game plan. We really respect them, but we’ve got to go in with the mindset that we want to keep building and get the win.”
This week, the squad was split into two for some community activity as part of a process that Milton believes will help shape the characters of these youngster. “One group went to a special school to run activities and games for the children there, while the other did some work at a church,” he said. “It gives the boys a different perspective on things, which is important for their life skills.”
International Series 2017 – Day Two
Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Scotland v Italy (15:30)
England v Ireland (17:15)
Wales v Canada (19:35)
Tickets will be available on the gate at the venue. They will priced at £5 for adults (free for U16s), for which supporters will be able to watch all three games on the day. Re-entry not permitted.
