Welsh prodigy deemed too good for Wales Under-20s as senior call beckons
It is the 70th minute of the Ospreys' final Challenge Cup pool match against Pau in France and the hosts are awarded a penalty try. At this stage the Ospreys are trailing 28-19 and look set to miss out on a home tie in last 16 of the Challenge Cup.
Up steps Morgan Morse. The 20-year-old, who celebrated his birthday while out in France, charges up the touchline through heavy traffic before leaving a trail of beaten defenders in his wake.
Morse is brought down just short of the line but the damage has been done and Dan Edwards is able to walk over the line for a try. Minutes later Morse bursts through the middle of the Pau defence with his explosive power and pace knocking defenders aside to lay the platform for scrum-half Luke Davies to score the winner.
READ MORE: Wales Under 20s name Six Nations squad as new signing from New Zealand called up
If anyone needed any confirmation the Ospreys backrower was special this was it. "He will be an international player and he will be a top quality international player if injuries are kind to him and selection is also kind to him," said Ospreys head coach Mark Jones.
"We just want to make sure at the Ospreys that he's ready to not just play international rugby but thrive in it. That's our job to make sure he thrives in international rugby and not just plays there."
Morse was not included in the either the senior Wales squad or the U20s squad for the Six Nations but it is only a matter of time before the call comes from the former.
As for the latter, he has played more under 20s matches than literally anyone since being picked as a schoolboy prodigy and it's been decided more senior rugby and training will be of greater benefit, such is his talent. Wales attack coach Rob Howley recently told WalesOnline Morse is very likely to get called in to train with the senior squad during the Six Nations to get him acclimatised with the environment.
"Morgan will possibly be one of those players we bring in," said the former Wales scrum-half. "But we will have to have a conversation with Mark Jones because ultimately playing for the region rather than training with Wales might be better, so there is a fine balance."
Having missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury Morse is set to get significant gametime for the Ospreys over the next few months. It is not inconceivable the former Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera pupil will get called up to tour Japan with Wales this summer. In fact it would be a surprise if he didn't.
"We know his game has got edges we want to polish a little bit around different areas," said Jones.
"When he was injured there was an opportunity to spend a bit of time with him there around his game and improving little bits and pieces so that he can do the things that perhaps are not quite so visible. Everybody sees the four defenders that he steps, fends off or outruns but it's the little bit of work around the contact area, around his defence and his technical work around the set-piece.
"There's been an opportunity to fill some of that stuff in and improve him there because he's literally just turned 20 while we were away in Pau. "If you look at where he's going to be playing for us over the next block it's going to be Benetton, Leinster and Glasgow. So, if he's involved in the matchday 23 he's going to come up against arguably one of the best teams in the world, he's got the current URC champions and Benetton have just beaten La Rochelle who are two-times European champions.
"So, if he's on the field against those guys I'm pretty confident he's getting better." Expect Morse to become a household name on the international circuit in the very near future.
