FORMER Wales centre Tom Shanklin has backed Newport Gwent Dragons prospects Hallam Amos and Tyler Morgan to flourish by making the toughest of tours to face the world champions.

The Rodney Parade three-quarters were members of last year’s World Cup squad and are both on national dual contracts and highly likely to tour New Zealand after the warm-up against England at Twickenham.

Wing/full-back Amos, 21, is set to be pushing for a place in the matchday squad that will face the All Blacks three times while centre Morgan, 20, will hope to at least take on the Chiefs in the midweek encounter.

Shanklin, a double Grand Slam winner who won 70 caps, believes the duo will profit from another campaign mixing it with the best.

He said: “Tyler had a little taste of international rugby and looked good. It was a shame that he got injured at the World Cup but he fits into the mould of a Warren Gatland player – big, strong, powerful, quick.

“Obviously he is down the pecking order at the moment with Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies and Scott Williams there – three doesn’t go into two as it is.

“But Tyler is looking good for the future and so is Hallam Amos. They’ve had a taste of it with Wales and will want more.

“When you go into camp it’s brilliant. You are training with and learning from the best. You look up to some of those players, you see how they push themselves and try to copy them.

“This Wales squad trains incredibly hard and the environment brings the best out of players, so Tyler and Hallam will learn so much.”

After a solid if unspectacular Six Nations campaign, Wales will be huge underdogs for the tour to New Zealand.

Given that they’ve lost 26 straight Tests against the All Blacks since Ken Jones’ famous winner in 1953, Shanklin fancies they may have to wait until the next Principality Stadium encounter.

“It’s going to be a tough ask for Wales to win a game and if we are going to beat the All Blacks you feel it will be in Cardiff,” said Shanklin, a try scorer when playing wing in the agonising 26-25 loss in 2004.

“New Zealand are so relentless and ruthless. It will be a hard tour but win, lose or draw Wales will learn a lot. The experience will serve them well and as an individual it’s a chance to see where you are at against the best.

“I’ve not beaten New Zealand so it’s difficult to comment about how to beat them but just have to apply pressure non-stop because drop your standards and they punish you.

“I do think we need to develop our game because while we can outpower teams in the northern hemisphere our record shows that doesn’t tend to work against the southern hemisphere. We have to develop, creating more space and finishing opportunities.

“There was a bit of criticism in the Six Nations because we know how well this team can play and they have shown glimpses. They’ve not played to their full potential yet and that’s a positive – still a relatively young team and the core is there.”

Western Telegraph:

Tom Shanklin is a NatWest RugbyForce 2016 Legend, bringing his playing and business experience to help a grassroots club attract members and become more sustainable. To register for a chance to have Tom join forces with your rugby club visit www.wru.co.uk/rugbyforce

Shanklin has joined Scotland’s Alastair Kellock and England’s Will Greenwood and Lewis Moody for the project.

The grassroots partnership between the Welsh Rugby Union and NatWest aims to help clubs attract new members and become more sustainable, with this year focusing on rewarding volunteers as well as welcoming the community to the club.

New for 2016, clubs across Wales, Scotland and England will have the chance to see Shanklin, Kellock, Greenwood or Moody join their club as an advisor for a year.

This commitment from the no-nonsense former centre will go beyond the usual level of involvement in the grassroots game and will see Shanklin take on an active role within the chosen club. From offering advice, to attending meetings, club events such as NatWest RugbyForce Weekend and advising on how to maximise their facilities, the honorary club member will immerse himself in his new club.

To launch the new incentive Shanklin joined the three other legends in taking his seat in the ‘Legends’ Lair’ to reveal what he is looking for in a club and how he intends to use his playing and business experience from the recycling industry to add his support, with legendary referee Nigel Owens also making a cameo appearance.