A YOUNG Lampeter rugby player has marked a major milestone by making his senior debut for the Scarlets.

Fresh from representing Wales Under-19s in Paris the previous weekend, second-row Kai Jones came off the bench in the second half of the Scarlets’ 45–19 defeat to Harlequins in a frosty Friday night friendly at The Stoop.

The fixture, played during the international window, provided valuable preparation for head coach Dwayne Peel and his staff ahead of next Saturday’s clash with Glasgow Warriors at Parc y Scarlets.

Peel also used the opportunity to blood several youngsters, with a number of U20 Academy prospects finishing the match.

Among the highlights was fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones’ superb touchline conversion of Tomi Lewis’s second try, which came after Jones secured clean line-out ball to set up the attack.

Jones, already a standout performer for Wales U18s, is known as a powerful ball carrier capable of playing both lock and back row. The son of former Wales age-grade international Ceirian Jones, he has represented his hometown club through the ranks before stepping up to the regional stage.

Just days earlier, Jones had started for Wales Under-19s against France at Rugby Club Massy Essonne on Saturday, 15 November. In difficult conditions, a contentious disallowed try proved costly as Richard Whiffin’s side slipped to a narrow 26–19 defeat.

The Paris trip was one of three fixtures arranged to give Wales U20 head coach Whiffin the chance to assess a wider pool of talent before naming his Six Nations squad early in the New Year.

Following that encounter, Wales U19s will next face England at Ystrad Mynach next month, while the U20s are set to host Scotland at Merthyr RFC just before the festive period.