Ospreys backrower Sam Morgan is the bolter in the Wales U20s squad for the World Rugby Junior World Championship.
The 18-year-old is uncapped at this level but a series of outstanding individual performances for Wales U19s resulted in the Morriston prospect being elevated into the U20s squad ahead of more established players.
Elite sport is in Morgan’s blood. His father, Mathew, carved out a professional career in both rugby and football, a sporting pedigree now reflected in his son’s rapid rise.
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“My father was a professional footballer and then he played rugby after his football days,” Morgan tells WalesOnline.
“He was a centre-half in the Manchester City academy and had offers from Leeds, Arsenal and Chelsea.
“He also played for Swansea City but injuries held him back.
“As he got older he fell into love with rugby and played for Swansea RFC before the regions came in.
“He played on the wing originally. He had a lot of pace but a big frame and later in his career he moved into the backrow.
“But his career was shorter than it should have been due to a serious knee injury.
“He’s been my biggest inspiration and he’s coached me.”
Morgan is part of a strong pool of backrowers in this Wales U20s squad which includes co-captain Deian Gwynne, Caio James, Evan Minto and Alex Ridgway.
But the Ospreys prospect is hoping to force his way into the starting XV with Wales set to face hosts Georgia, defending champions South Africa and Uruguay in the pool stage.
“I’d say I’m athletic and explosive,” said Morgan when asked what his point of difference is.
“I think that’s important for any backrower. It is something I’ve worked hard on but it is also something I’ve got a natural talent for.
“I love getting my hands on the ball but I just hope I can bring a real work ethic and energy to the team.
“It’s nice to see they (coaches) recognise my hard work and it has paid off.
“I’ve taken all the learnings I can from the coaches and I’ve learnt a lot from the players around me. It’s the right step in the right direction.”
Morgan made his Super Rygbi Cymru debut for Swansea RFC at the end of the season and has been training with the senior Ospreys squad.
Growing up Justin Tipuric was a player Morgan idolised and he is chomping at the bit to learn from the Ospreys defence coach.
“I’ve had some exposure training with the senior Ospreys squad,” he said.
“I’ve learnt a lot within the short time I’ve had with them and I’m really excited for the upcoming seasons to pick up even more information.
“They’ve got great coaches there like Justin Tipuric so I’ve got some good people to look up to.
“I definitely looked up to him growing up.
“I think he was one of the most underrated players of that generation. He was a quality player and he’s a quality bloke.
“I haven’t had too much time with him but I’m really looking forward to spending more time with him. There’s a lot of great professionals.
“It’s a great environment and it is very friendly. For that to be my home region I’m quite proud of that.
“The likes of Ryan Smith is a great professional and all the boys were welcoming. Ross Moriarty who is a fellow Morriston boy knows some of my family so I’ve had some good chats with him.
“He’s another good role model. They are all brilliant.”
Having already gained exposure to the Ospreys’ senior environment, Morgan’s next objective is to translate his promise into opportunities on the field, with a competitive first-team appearance firmly in his sights.
Before that, though, his attention is fixed on Wales Under-20s’ challenge in Georgia, where he says a recent talk from Steve Tandy has provided the squad with added motivation ahead of the championship.
“Steve Tandy came to speak to us as a collective and we had some really wise words from him,” he said.
“He told us to have some belief in this group.
“We are a tight group and why should we write ourselves off from going far in this competition? There’s no need to.
“We’ve taken a lot of learnings from the Six Nations. We’ve got a talented squad with some good players.
“There’s no reason we should write ourselves off. Wales are a tough and strong nation and we should go far.”
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