![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0_JWC-2026_-Pool-A-South-Africa-v-Wales-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSteffan Emanuel has been a stand-out for Wales U20s this summer<\/p>\n
Steffan Emanuel showed his class against South Africa U20s(Image: World Rugby)<\/p>\n
Right now, there seems to be a clamour for Wales to change their whole philosophy when it comes to their midfield.<\/p>\n
Having gone through 12 Tests with either Ben Thomas or Joe Hawkins wearing the 12 jersey, it’s clear that Steve Tandy and Matt Sherratt prefer a ball-playing inside centre. However, the calls are getting louder to bring in a more physical presence.<\/p>\n
Eddie James, who has been wearing 13 for much of the last two campaigns, is the obvious choice. Bryn Bradley was another 12 in Wales’ summer squad who could fit the bill.<\/p>\n
Whether there’s any change remains to be seen.<\/p>\n
But, for those who have watched Richard Whiffin’s U20s this summer in the Junior World Championship, there might have been a sense that the future of the jersey was in Georgia.<\/p>\n
Cardiff centre Steffan Emanuel was one of the standout performers in a Welsh side that finished sixth, providing a genuine run-kick-pass threat from the 12 jersey.<\/p>\n
JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more<\/a><\/p>\n There were hard carrying lines, but also smart distribution and a deft kicking game.<\/p>\n “He sees space really well, organises well,” said Whiffin earlier this year. “The best thing about him is the way he brings others into the game.<\/p>\n “You probably don’t see it, but when you’re working with him and what he says in huddles, it’s so easy to coach him because he’s already said it before I need to.<\/p>\n “It’s so much more powerful coming from a player than being told by a coach at half-time. He sees the game, understands what is needed at different times and he’s got a really good future.<\/p>\n “He’s an old head on young shoulders. The sky is the limit for him really.”<\/p>\n The 20-year-old just looks like he has an extra split-second on the ball. That’s sometimes just the way at age-grade.<\/p>\n It won’t necessarily be the case when he steps up to senior level, certainly not to begin with anyway.<\/p>\n Carwyn Leggatt-Jones – another prodigious Welsh talent – looked like he didn’t have a care in the world when playing schoolboy rugby.<\/p>\n But both his U20s debut and senior debuts – all part of a remarkably rapid rise – saw plenty of good mixed with a few charge-downs and the odd blotted copybook. It takes times to acclimatise, after all.<\/p>\n The hope would be that, going back to Emanuel, there’s enough about him that the growing pains at senior level shouldn’t be too severe.<\/p>\n He’s already made his senior debut for Cardiff, even scoring against Ulster last season. He’s now hoping for a “career-defining” jump to regular senior minutes.<\/p>\n Obviously, Emanuel is one for the future – but, having already been around Tandy’s side in alignment camps, perhaps that future isn’t too far down the line.<\/p>\n If you’re looking at players from this current crop of U20s who might emerge, Emanuel would be high up on the list.<\/p>\n And inside centre does seem to be a position in a relative state of flux.<\/p>\n Emanuel seems to offer a middle-ground to Wales’ midfield options right now.<\/p>\n Size perhaps is the only issue, with his stature closer to Hawkins and Thomas than James.<\/p>\n But his efforts at age-grade show he’s got a physical side to him, as well as express speed in space.<\/p>\n Right now, Wales’ coaches have a decision to make on what profile of inside centre they want in the short term.<\/p>\n Emanuel’s emergence, whenever it comes, could easily simplify that decision or only serve to make the headache a little worse.<\/p>\n Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here<\/a> and our WhatsApp channel here<\/a> for all the breaking news.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Steffan Emanuel has been a stand-out for Wales U20s this summer Steffan Emanuel showed his class against South…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":707147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,11537,56,54,55,9015],"class_list":["post-707146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-rugby","tag-sports","tag-steve-tandy","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wales-rugby-team"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=707146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/707147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=707146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=707146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=707146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}