Dragons star to Captain Wales U20

England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales are all entering U20 teams in the annual competition and Smith is one of eleven players in the Wales U20 side who have experienced Magners League, EDF Energy Cup or Heineken Cup action this season.

Wales coach Dai Rees will have the players together for three days prior to Friday's clash with the highly talented Irish and hopes are high that last season's U19 Grand Slam side can gel into another potent force.

"As most of these players were part of the highly successful Wales U19 side last season they have high standards to maintain. The players have set themselves a target of achieving another Six Nations Grand Slam.

"It's a realistic goal given the quality of the squad, but a tough one considering we have away fixtures against the two countries who are still fielding U21 sides - Italy and France. It would be great to get to Rodney Parade undefeated and to meet England in March for a Grand Slam.

"We have been boosted by the returns from injury of Bradley Davies, Jamie Corsi and Lewis Evans and we have also been able to introduce some new faces to last season's U19 squad in Blues wing Thomas James, Ebbw Vale flanker Dan Lydiate and Loughborough University back row man James Cullen.

"The tournament will be a step up in standard for most of our players. Playing in a national team is a unique environment which will groom these players as the next generation of Welsh internationals.

"We must expect the Irish team to be based on the one that beat Wales in the IRB U19 World Championship in Dubai last year. They were a very strong outfit with many changes to the side Wales beat in the U19 Six Nations."

Wales U20 v Ireland: Martyn Thomas (Llanelli/Scarlets); Alec Jenkins (Llanelli/Scarlets), James Lewis (Bedwas/Dragons), Ashley Smith (Newport/Dragons, captain), Thomas James (Cardiff/Blues); Rhys Priestland , (Llanelli/Scarlets), Robert Lewis (Neath/Ospreys); Hugh Gustafson (Llanelli/Scarlets), Ken Owens (Llanelli/Scarlets), Jamie Corsi (Newport/Dragons), Bradley Davies (Cardiff/Blues), Lou Reed (Llanelli/Scarlets), Danny Lydiate (Ebbw Vale/Dragons), James Harris (Bedwas/Dragons), Lewis Evans (Newport/Dragons)

Replacements (from): Ben Flower (Bedwas/Dragons), Kieron Jenkins (Glam Wands/Blues), Adam Brown (Bedwas/Dragons), Sam Kiley (Swansea/Ospreys), Matt Larsen (Cardiff/Blues), Darren Allinson (Cardiff/Blues), Rhys Jones (Sale Sharks), Richard Thomas (Aberavon/Scarlets), Gareth Maule (Newport/Dragons)