WALES Under-20s boss Jason Strange hopes the Six Nations can help number eight Harrison Keddie follow in the footsteps of Ollie Griffiths and burst into the Newport Gwent Dragons team, writes Chris Kirwan.

The 19-year-old from Llanvaches is the sole Dragons starter in the Wales side for the tournament opener against Ireland at Donnybrook on Friday evening with lock Bryce Morgan and tighthead Leon Brown among the replacements.

Unlike some of his teammates in the Dublin encounter, Keddie is yet to make his regional debut but is highly-rated by the Rodney Parade management team.

The Dragons are adopting a cautious approach, just as they did with Griffiths last season despite some stellar displays for the Under-20s.

They want Keddie, who can also play blindside flanker, to learn his trade and then push for an opening in 2016/17 after this summer's World Rugby U20 Championship in Manchester.

Strange believes the coming weeks and months provide Keddie, who is in his second year with the under-20s, with the chance to show his Dragons coaches that he is on track.

"The standard of his tournament improves every year and last season we saw players like Ollie really impress and announce themselves on the scene," said the former fly-half.

"I'd like to think that Harrison, and a number of other players in our squad, will do likewise by the end of the Six Nations.

"It's a really good standard and we talk to the players about having high expectations – if they want to become professional players and play senior international rugby then these are the type of occasions when they need to perform.

"We are trying to create an environment in which these players thrive and flourish."

Strange is well place to have seen the development of Keddie having been his boss when coaching Ebbw Vale in the Principality Premiership last season.

"Harrison has become a leader in the group in terms of his actions on and off the field," said Strange, who left the Steelmen for a permanent job with the WRU last summer.

"He is in his second year with Ebbw Vale and has developed as a player but also a person, which Ebbw deserve a lot of credit for."