FORMER Wales captain Mark Taylor believes 'explosive' Newport Gwent Dragons teenager Tyler Morgan can be a World Cup dark horse.

Taylor, who won 52 caps and played at the 1999 and 2003 tournaments in midfield, is now team manager for Wales Under-20s.

That means he has seen first-hand the progress of 19-year-old wing/centre Morgan and 20-year-old Rodney Parade teammates Hallam Amos and Jack Dixon, wing/full-back and centre respectively.

The talented trio have become key figures for the Dragons despite their inexperience and are set to get the chance to impress when Warren Gatland's men take on Ireland at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm).

Taylor, a Lions tourist to Australia in 2001, believes national dual contracted Morgan can make a big statement as the Wales management team ponder who should profit from Jonathan Davies' injury.

"Tyler is a dark horse and certainly has that X-factor," said Taylor, who scored three tries in 1999 and crossed against New Zealand in the 2003 cracker in Sydney.

"Only George North has come through the system with the same ability to break the game open on his own.

"Tyler has got everything and is one of the most explosive players I have ever seen on a rugby field. He just makes things happen and at any moment can go over from 80 metres.

"We were desperate to have him at the World Rugby U20 Championship (Gatland pulled him out when Davies got injured) and he was a big miss. I definitely think he can make a big impact."

Taylor is excited about seeing whether Amos can take his sparkling Dragons form onto the Test stage while he also believes that Dixon will profit from being in the international set-up, even if he is more of a long shot for the final World Cup 31.

"Hallam flashed up on our radar in Under-18s," said Taylor. "He has the whole package – size, pace, intelligence and ability to read the game – and there is no reason why he can't step up.

"He is a genuine contender but we need to see him at international level where the likes of George North and Alex Cuthbert have proved themselves."

"Jack did three years of U20 World Championships and even in the first one he was a man among boys – physical, strong, brave," he continued.

"He is the like-for-like replacement for Jamie Roberts and has the character and work ethic to make it in the long-term, it's just whether this is a World Cup too soon.

"A World Cup is not for development, you need people to step into the front line. Perhaps Jack needs another 12 months but the fact that he is in the squad now shows how highly he is rated by the coaches.

"It's just great to have three backs coming through together at the Dragons and sharing these experiences," said the Blaenavon-born former Pontypool centre.

"Coaches talk about having depth and about succession planning and they all have a bright future."

Gatland names his side for the Irish encounter at 11am tomorrow. See southwalesargus.co.uk/sport for full details.