Thomas Young Will Make His Own Call – Wales Or Wasps – Says Dad Dai

Dai Young insists son Thomas will make his own mind up on whether or not he wants to return to Wales to secure his international career.

The 25-year-old Wasps flanker won two caps on Wales’ tour of the South Seas this summer and will still be eligible to improve that tally this season.

But with the WRU having introduced a 60-cap base line for players outside of Wales when they reach the end of their existing contracts, Young junior will have to decide if he wants to join a Welsh region when his current deal in two years’ time.

It could well mean Young senior – Wasps’ director of rugby – offering a new contract to Thomas that would end his son’s availability to play Test rugby.

But the former Wales captain and ex-Cardiff Blues coach insists: “He’ll then have to decide if he wants to go home and put his hand up for Wales, or stay.

“I can’t answer for him, but I’m sure the next couple of seasons will make up his mind. That’s his call, he’s a big boy now and makes his own choices.”

With Sam Warburton, Ellis Jenkins and James Davies all out injured, Young has a good chance of being included in Warren Gatland’s Wales squad for the autumn internationals, which is due to be announced next week.

His current status as 58 caps shy of the threshold does not matter at present as his eligibility for Wales under the new rules stays the same until he ends his existing contract.

Young senior added: “Thomas is contracted until after the next World Cup, so nothing will change until then when he’ll have a decision to make.

Dai Young says James Haskell showed restraint.
Dai Young. Pic: Getty Images.

“He’s not affected by the new ruling until then, as he’s under contract here, and he signed that contract before he got in the Wales squad.

“That means he’s not a wildcard under current rules, and he’s also not captured by the new law until his current contract finishes.

Scott Quinnell expects Wales’ new 60-cap rule to arrest the tide of players moving abroad and benefit regional rugby in the country.

The new ruling was announced on Monday and means Rhys Webb appears certain to miss the 2019 World Cup after signing a deal with Toulon starting next summer.

But in conversation with Will Greenwood on Sky Sports rugby podcast, The Offload, Quinnell pointed to the potential long-term positive of the ruling.

“We should have our best side playing week in, week out,” he said.

“And from the regions’ point of view, they want to put bums on seats and get the crowds in and you only do that by getting your best players to stay.

“There’s a lot of people down the years who said let’s go back to clubs. But I love the clubs and I loved playing against Swansea and playing against Cardiff and Pontypridd away – The House of Pain, there was no better place to go play 25-years ago.

“Now we are playing in the PRO14 there is no better place to go than Thomond Park or over to the RDS. It’s a different time, it’s a different breed, four regions…and we need to keep as many players in the regions as we can but we have to respect that the players have a short period to make their money

But Quinnell was critical of the current transfer system that allows players to sign for new clubs, too many months in advance.

“The whole process of this is wrong to me because when we were playing, we weren’t allowed to talk to other clubs until January,” he said.

“And that way they were stabilising your side and the side that you were going to after January. You were allowed then to talk to other clubs.

“We know now that the Ospreys will be without their half-backs next year and it’s early on in the season already.”

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