Richard Whiffin is hopeful England U20s star Kane James will play for Wales at senior level, and predicts a future with fewer Welsh-born players wearing the red rose at age-grade level. There are currently a significant number of Welsh players taking up scholarships from fee-paying schools in England and getting picked up by the academies of English Premiership clubs. This has weakened Wales' four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - while it has also led to some Welsh-born players opting to represent England at age-grade level. One such example was giant second-row Luke Evans, who played for England U18s but has been persuaded to return to the Welsh system. But Wales U20s head coach Whiffin is confident some recent improvements to the Welsh Rugby Union's pathway will see fewer players getting lost to England. "We've got plenty of Welsh players in England who we are doing a better job of keeping them Welsh, for want of a better phrase," said Whiffin. "Luke was in that two-year period where you had Welsh players going across the bridge and putting a white jersey on. "I think we are going to see less of that and we will see more repatriation, for want of a better phrase. In terms of actual names, the Welsh guys who are over the bridge are Welsh. "I was at Bristol yesterday reviewing the Six Nations with those guys. It's about us getting out, still being visible for the players and knowing that they may well have chosen to go over the bridge, but for a union point of view they are still massively part of our plans. "They are in our depth chart. We are still keeping connections with the players but also the clubs. To be fair to the English clubs they want their players to be playing international rugby regardless of the jersey. "We have to make sure those relationships are strong." One of the most impressive players for reigning U20s world champions England is Welsh born backrower Kane James. The 20-year-old originally hails from Haverfordwest and qualifies for England, New Zealand and Wales. But despite representing England U20s the WRU are working hard to persuade the Exeter Chiefs forward to throw his lot in with Wales in the future. "It's not about persuasion, it's about keeping a relationship with him and keeping in contact with him and letting him know he's someone the union see as a potential international player of the future," said Whiffin. "At some point an international coach, be it for England or Wales, has got to make a decision and then that puts Kane in a situation where he has to make a decision. But from our point of view pathway-wise it's about keeping those relationships. "Yes, we'd love him to be in a red jersey but he qualifies for three different countries. At the moment he's in that English pathway but certainly we are keeping in contact with him from a Welsh point of view."