Six Nations: Wales Under-20s providing hope in dark times

Whiffin has watched a raft of his former age-grade players with pride.

Morgan Morse won his first cap in November and Louie Hennessey is in the senior Six Nations squad while the likes of Ryan Woodman, Macs Page, Harry Beddall while Aidan Boshoff, Jordan Morris and Matty Young are making good progress at club level.

“The narrative around everything being broken is wrong,” said Whiffin. “It takes a bit of time, just look at Ireland’s performances in the under-20s over the last three or four years to them navigating through to the senior team.

“It was the same with France’s double world championship winning team and England.

“We have had better Six Nations results in recent years, so better players are coming through that will eventually feed into the national senior team.

“We’ve just got to give them time, nurture them and allow them to make mistakes.

“Let’s look after them, let’s celebrate them when they do well, but let’s not get on their backs too early.”

Of the 40 players that made Whiffin’s squad in January, 13 are on the books of English clubs.

Just two – prop Dylan James and centre Jack Hoskins – are from the Ospreys, whose future is at risk under the Welsh Rugby Union’s plans to cut from four professional men’s clubs to three.

“With the contractual situation, the young boys know that they are probably quite safe and that it will affect that middle band,” said Whiffin.

“Whatever happens at the top end, if it’s four to three and when the national academy comes in, the best young players will be protected.

“It’s in the WRU’s interests to make sure that the best young players are playing in Wales and contracted here, so they have got a level of security around that.

“That is being narrated to them through us, the WRPA (Welsh Rugby Players Association) and the regions. I don’t think that there is the fear over jobs that there might be in the senior game.”