Wales aim to build a winning "Manchester United-style" dynasty in rugby

WARREN GATLAND’S Wales are looking to create a Manchester United-type youth dynasty which ensures the Dragons remain at the top of world rugby for years to come.

Gatland’s bold decision to go with young guns at the World Cup reaped rich rewards, with Wales reaching the last four and leading pundits across the globe predicting a golden future for Sam Warburton, George North, Toby Faletau, Rhys Priestland and Lloyd Williams.

The Welsh coach’s gamble with teenagers and early TwentySomethings mirrored what Sir Alex Ferguson did with Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt during the 1990s.

The emergence of those Fergie fledglings, given their chance ahead of more seasoned old hands, has been the bedrock behind Manchester United’s domination of British football for the past two decades.

The Old Trafford youth academy, given a boost by the emergence of superstars such as Beckham and Giggs, continues to throw up a conveyor belt of young talent with Tom Cleverly and Danny Welbeck the most recent to get their first team chance.

And Wales are adamant the WRU National Academy system which has been put in place will guarantee a similar glut of talent pushing through behind the current golden generation being moulded by Gatland.

More than two thirds of Gatland’s World Cup squad in New Zealand came through the Wales youth ranks... including Warburton, North, Faletau, Priestland, Jamie Roberts and Leigh Halfpenny.

Others who have emerged since the 2005-06 season include Alun Wyn Jones, Bradley Davies, Andy Powell, Dan Lydiate, James Hook, Jonathan Davies and Scott Williams.

Gatland’s right-hand man and assistant coach Rob Howley says there is a succession plan being implemented which means the Welsh management should have at least four players at any given time waiting in the wings to take over from those in the starting XV.

It also means that while England and the RFU lurch from one crisis to another, the WRU believe they have put in place a rock-solid foundations which ensure Wales’ future will be bright.

“There is a natural changing of the guard at the moment after the World Cup, but we have always been firm believers in giving talented players opportunities, whatever their age,” said Howley.