As Wales get set to take on Italy at the Millennium Stadium this weekend, the Wales Under 16s and Under 18s are preparing to travel in the opposite direction on an Italian adventure.

There will be a strong influence of Cardiff Blues players in each team, with eight players selected in the match day squads at both age grades, enough to field a combined Blues team.

Blues High Performance Manager, Gafyn Cooper, said:
“All these players have been performing consistently well this season and it is great to see so many players from the Blues region named in the Wales age grade teams.

”With equally good representation in the Wales Under 21s as well as the first team, the region is clearly bringing forward a large proportion of the next generation of Wales internationals.”

WALES U18s V ITALY SUNDAY MARCH 12th 2006

TEAM
DANIEL EVANS, GRUFFYDD JONES, LUKE FORD, RHYS WILLIAMS, JASON TOVEY, DAVID LANGDON, RHYS WEBB, JONATHAN JONES, SAM WARBURTON, NICK CUDD, JEVON GROVES, HADYN PUGH, SCOTT ANDREWS, BEN ROBERTS, RYAN BEVINGTON

REPLACEMENTS
GARETH WILLIAMS, PHILLIP WILLIAMS, LEIGH HALFPENNY, HUW DOWDEN, PATRICK PALMER, PHILLIP PRICE, KYLE MAIDEN

WALES UNDER 16S TO PLAY ITALY
JAMES LOXTON (BLUES SOUTH), CHRIS LEWIS (OSPREYS), KRISTIAN PHILLIPS (OSPREYS), ASHLEY BECK (OSPREYS), JOE XIBERRAS (BLUES SOUTH), DANIEL BIGGAR (C), (OSPREYS), RHYS DOWNES (BLUES NORTH), AARON COUNDLEY (DRAGONS), RHYS WILLIAMS (BLUES NORTH), MARCUS LEWIS (BLUES NORTH), RHYS RUDDOCK (OSPREYS), LEE BRAY (DRAGONS), CORY HEARNE (BLUES SOUTH), BEN HOWE (OSPREYS), RORY PITMAN (OSPREYS)

REPLACEMENTS
DANIEL HOLLIDAY (BLUES SOUTH), DAVID BLACKWELL (SCARLETS), STUART MAGUIRE (DRAGONS), RYAN MOORE (BLUES SOUTH), GARETH FLYNN (SCARLETS), TRAVIS KNOYLE (OSPREYS), DANIEL NEWTON (SCARLETS)