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Steffan Thomas

Outgoing coach names Cardiff youngsters who are destined for stardom and the best foreigner we've seen

Cardiff's outgoing defence coach Richard Hodges has backed the club's next generation of talent to propel the Arms Park outfit forward over the next couple of seasons.

Hodges will leave Cardiff at the end of the campaign to pursue an opportunity overseas at an opportune time given the financial cuts under way in Welsh rugby.

With a host of players leaving at the end of the season director of rugby Dai Young will inevitably have to put his faith in youth.

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And Hodges, who was formerly an academy manager, has named four players he thinks are destined for stardom.

"I think what will happen over the next few seasons is because of smaller playing numbers and budgets you'll see a lot of these youngsters getting opportunities over the forthcoming year or two," he said.

"Here at Cardiff I've been really impressed with Alex Mann. I think Alex Mann is somebody who once he gets his opportunity won't look back.

"He's probably having to be a bit patient at the minute because of the competitive nature of our back-row.

"Another name to throw at you who I think could excel quite quickly is Harry Wilde.

"He's played a little bit at 10 for Wales U18s, and trained with us today.

"With regards Harry you look at the opportunities at 10 for him within Wales he's somebody who could be a big part of the training environment, and see how he goes.

"Rhys Barrett, Efan Daniel and Evan Lloyd who has just converted to hooker. For us the two Evans' at hooker, and Efan Daniel.

"I know Byron Hayward really well and he's spoken really highly of Efan Daniel, and his time will come soon.

"There's certainly players in and around the place ready to put their stamp on it next season."

Many players will be waving goodbye to Welsh rugby at Judgement Day this weekend, and among them will be Cardiff's Samoan centre Rey Lee-Lo.

Hodges, who has been at the club in some capacity since 2005, has named Lee-Lo as the best player he's ever coached and is adamant he is among the finest overseas players to have graced the Welsh game.

"The best defender I've ever worked with is Rey," he said. "He is as good as anything that's ever come across these shores in terms of being a foreigner.

"In my opinion he probably doesn't get the accolades he deserves when you speak about this club; you talk about the likes of Paul Tito, Casey Laulala and Xavier Rush but he's as good as them.

"What he's brought to this club has been immense. He's at the top of the tree for me.

"Rey as a person. His life with his family brings its challenges.

"For him to be as diligent and as professional as he is week in, week out.

"Rey will go weeks and weeks without speaking in a team environment but then he'll come up with an absolute golden nugget where boys will hang off his every word.

"He is extremely physical, he's got a good understanding of the game. In terms of my job you can talk about whether players are good defenders or good attackers, and there's not an awful lot of players who are both.

"You are usually either one or the other. It's sounds a bit of an oxymoron but Rey is both.

"Rey is a hell of a defender and he can hit. You can put a showreel together of what he can do."

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