Anxious wait over for young Dragon

1:11pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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IT HAS been a nervous few weeks for the young members of the Wales squad for the Junior World Champ-ionship as they waited for confirmation of their selection but it was even more tension-ridden for lock Ashley Sweet.

Sweet was red-carded for Cross Keys in their derby defeat to Ebbw Vale a fortnight ago and a ban could have shattered his international dreams.

But the dismissal was quashed on Tuesday night after the Pandy Park outfit proved it was a case of mistaken identity and now the 19-year-old from Pontypool, who the coaching team had already selected in their squad, is free to start his battle for a starting spot.

"It was a nervous wait but I was really relieved to hear that the red card has been dealt with," said the former Pontypool United man. "Now I can look ahead and try to impress the coaches to get as much involvement in the tournament as I can.

"I've been working hard with Keys and now I aim to do the same here. There's a real battle for a starting spot, that can only be a good thing for all of us and I am looking forward to it."

Sweet is one of three Dragons to be selected for the inaugural tournament with backs Jason Tovey and Jimmy Norris also getting the call.

Tovey has had a dramatic few weeks after making his regional bow against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium but admitted that ignorance was bliss in the wait for selection.

"It was quite a shock for me, some of the boys said they were nervously waiting for a text but I didn't even know the squad was being selected!" he said.

"I suppose one of the things in my favour was that I can cover three or four positions in the backs but now I want to try and impress and get some game time and take my chance.

"And I think my case has been helped by getting a taste of regional rugby, it was a shock in some ways to have the likes of Ryan Jones running at me but once I settled down the experience was brilliant."

Norris has been a mainstay of age-grade rugby over the past few seasons and the Malpas-born winger is looking for a fitting end before turning 20 in July.

"I was really delighted to get the call and now if I can stay injury-free then I think I have a good chance of making the side," he said.

"We will all work hard for the next four weeks and we will all be ready for that Italy game. We have had good conditioning over the last few months and everybody will be looking to make sure we have a successful tournament."

Wales: Backs:Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Gareth Williams (Ospreys), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Gareth Owen (Ospreys), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Rhys Williams (Scarlets), Luke Ford (Blues), Jimmy Norris (Dragons), Nathan Rees (Blues), Leigh Halfpenny (Blues), Daniel Evans (Scarlets), Jason Tovey (Dragons) Forwards: Sam Hobbs (Blues), Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Scott Andrews (Blues), Patrick Palmer (Blues), Ryan Prosser (Bristol), Rhys Lawrence (Ospreys), Jevon Groves (Blues), Haydn Pugh (Scarlets), Ashley Sweet (Dragons), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Lloyd Phillips (Scarlets), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Sam Warburton (capt, Blues), Dan Franks (Blues) Wales fixtures: June 6 - Italy (Swansea), June 10 - Japan (Swansea), June 14 - France (Swansea), June 18 - semi-finals; June 22 - final.

* BBC Wales and S4C are joint broadcasters of the tournament and will be showing the pool games and knockout clashes.