The 18-year-old Ospreys wing was called into the Wales squad for the 2016 Under Armour series when Hallam Amos picked up an injury against Australia. The teenager is still actually a student at Gower College and look set to follow another college old boy, Ospreys prop, Nicky Smith, into the team.
“Keelan spent two years in the Gower 1st XV and was playing in this competition last year. Now he is on the verge of winning a full cap for Wales – it’s fantastic,” said Dan Cluroe, Gower’s head of rugby.
“Since the old Swansea and Gorseinon Colleges amalgamated to form Gower College about nine years go we’ve seen lots of players graduate into the Ospreys Academy and go on to become professional players. Keelan is the latest of them.
“Nicky Smith and Rory Thornton are two other stand-out players who came through our ranks and we think we’ve got another star in the making in our current side in centre Callum Carson. He is already a Wales Under 18 cap and has scored nine tries already in the league.
“He is able to create something out of nothing and has been outstanding for us this season. Maybe he will be teaming up with Keelan in the Ospreys and Wales teams in the not too distant future.”
Before then, though, Gower have got to get past Cowbridge Comprehensive at St Helen’s, Swansea on Wednesday night (6.00pm kick-off) as they try to stay in the hunt for a play-off place. Two bonus-point wins could do it for them, but Cowbridge will be no push-overs.
“Losing at Sir Gar, where they managed to get a bonus point against us, was a bit of a tipping point for us. That’s why we are targeting a big finish and, if possible, two bonus point wins against Cowbridge and Cardiff & Vale College,” added Cluroe.
“It is going to be a big night for us at St Helen’s. We have invited all our Under 16 players to the game and we are using the game to help promote the college, who sponsor Swansea RFC.”
Cowbridge were beaten at home by Coleg y Cymoedd last week and still have a home game to come against Sir Gar to complete their Cup campaign. Two wins would keep them in the mix at the end of the season.
Cardiff & Vale College head to Llanelli to face Sir Gar this week and will be without two of their key players, Ben Thomas and Dayfdd Smith. They are among an injury list that includes 19 players, which has forced the hand of head coach Martyn Fowler.
“We have suffered nine shoulder dislocations among our squad in the space of three months and, given the length of our injury list, we have decided to use the next few games to blood as many of next year’s team as possible,” admitted Fowler.
“We will still be highly competitive, but with the talent we have got in this squad – there are 11 of them in the Cardiff Blues Under 18 squad – we thought we might have been able to get to the final, especially after we beat Cymoedd in the qualifying rounds.”
The other Cup fixture sees Pembrokeshire College host Coleg Gwent, while in the Trophy tournament Newport HS and Ysgol Glantaf will be looking to steal a march on table topping Neath & Port Talbot College, who have a bye this week.
All three teams are tied on 15 points, although Newport have a game in hand on the other two. Glantaf travel to Bridgend College, while Newport host Whitchurch HS.
FIXTURES
Cup
Coleg Sir Gâr v Cardiff & Vale College
Gower College v Cowbridge CS
Pembrokeshire College v Coleg Gwent
Trophy
Bridgend College v Ysgol Glantaf
Coleg Llandrillo v Llandovery College
Newport HS v Whitchurch HS
TEAMS
CUP
Coleg Sir Gâr v Cardiff & Vale College
Coleg Sir Gar: Harri Doel; Gino Setaro, Joe Roberts, Scott Lloyd, Tom Rogers; Llew Smith, Glenn Williams; Drew Jones, Garan Jones, Llyr Green, Lewis Ellis-Jones (captain), Kingsley Jones, George David, Dan Davies, Gethin Davies
Reps: Adam Thomas, Cameron Lewis, Marcos Curtis, Callum Jenkins, Steffan Richards, Dafydd Llewelyn, Cameron Collins, Tom Lewis
Cardiff & Vale College: Tony Lamerton; Tom Meehan, Rhys Beynon, Josh Male, Jasper Dietz; Ben Lacy, Cameron Corsi; Dylan Lawley, Dan Schwartz, Marley Lovell, Connor O’Brien, Trent Jones, Owen Lloyd (captain), Lewis Hill, Joe Miles
Reps: Rhys Wellbeloved, Geraint Williams, Max Lucas, Owen Harvey, James Bartlett, Nathan Renshaw, Jack Mullins, Josh Lewis
Gower College v Cowbridge CS
Gower College: TBC
Cowbridge CS: Evan Williams; Max Cunnington, Dan Bunney, Bevan Howells, Harrison Ashby; Cai Evans, Ioan Lewis; Owain Leyshon, Will Bryant, Josh Evans, Owain Thomas-Jenkins (captain), Cameron Roy, Elis Reed, James Holder, Ruben Williams
Reps: Ellis Simon, Matt Keating, James Harrison, Sean Davies, Joe Nott, Jac Roberts
Pembrokeshire College v Coleg Gwent
Pembrokeshire College: Osian Edwards; Rhys Evans, Dan Evans, Lewys Thompson, Geraint Powell; Llew Jones, Jack Flanagan; Matholwch Scott, Kemsley Mathias, Lee Griffiths, Kieran Allen, Scott Buirds, Sion Colella, Jon Hill, Osian Davies
Reps: Mark Mathias, Jimmy Buirds, Owain Evans, Rhydian Thomas, Tom Hughes, Mark Stobbs, Harri Williams, Dan Rawlings
Coleg Gwent: TBC
TROPHY
Bridgend College v Ysgol Glantaf
Bridgend College: Josh Evans; Sam Palmer, Ryan Morrin, Iwan Vasey, Cam Ellis; Rhys Bridgeman, Brandon Mullen; Owen Bovingdon, Zach Taylor, Josh Richards, Louis Stansbury, Ryan Morgan, Euan Manley, Leon Evans, Brandon Huntley
Reps: Connor Buckle, Aled Steele, Ben Rich, Levi Hallett
Ysgol Glantaf: Tom James; Ioan Davies, Max Llewellyn, Sion O’Brien (captain), Drew Stephens; Jake Hillman, Rhodri Skyrme; Celyn Lewis, Ethan Williams, Adam Conway, Karlin Claridge, Gruff Roberts, Jay Jones, Rhys Morgans, Owen Jones
Reps: Owen Turner, Adam Shelley, Tom Callow, Jake Burge, Dafydd Manley, Ioan Lloyd
Coleg Llandrillo v Llandovery College
Coleg Llandrillo: Jac Jones; Bailey Rae, Henri Roberts, Sam Rogers, Elis Roberts; Armani Roberts, Iago Davies; Patrick Maguire (captain), Rhys Pomeroy, Shaun Thomas, Joe Bancroft, Robin Williams, Conor Hinchcliffe, Joseff Powell, Bryn Edwards
Reps: Celt Lewis, Will Sanderson, Ben Jackson, Jake Bamber, Sol Ashley, Rhys Henderson, Andrew Mcminimee, Peter Jones
Llandovery College: Tomi Lewis; Elis Hudson, Sean Collins, Ty Jones, Rhodri Davies; Dan Wainwright, Aron Hemmings; Will le Bas, Ianto Jones (captain), Dan Davies, Olly White, Huw Richards-Price, Rhodri Bullock, JJ Muller, Dylan Jones
Reps: Cameron Evans, Josh Lewes/Olly Robb, Max Richards, Cian Ireland, David Cromwell, Ynyr Lloyd-Jones, Hector Roberts, Elis Hodson
Newport HS v Whitchurch HS
Newport HS: Reagon Mahoney, Harley Painter, Corey Howells, William Thomas-Pace, James McCarthy, Lewis Hopkins, Will Davidson; Jamie Luckett, Ryan James, Josh Reynolds, Will Fishlock, Calum Hague, Jack Littlejohns, Liam Derrick, Lennon Greggains (capt)
Replacements: Luke Keevil-Morgan, Josh Lewis, Luke Yendle, Luc Slocombe, Sam Taylor, Dan Babos, Cyle Powell, James Hanlon
Whitchurch HS: Kane Teear-Bourge; Callum Jones, Will Young, Nat Ahmed, Owen Walrond; Conor Nagle, Morgan James; Joe Melhuish, Harry Boxall, Jack Sanders, Tom Simister, Nathan Crothers, Owen Jones, Sion Parry (Captain), Tom Rogers
Reps: Lewis Jameson, Will Dungey, John Woodward, Tom Vanstone, Ashley Powerl, Evan Lloyd, Ruari O’Flynn, Josh Ions
