Wales U20s have named their team for the final World U20s Championship warm-up against Italy on Friday
Wales U20s coach Richard Whiffin has made wholesale changes for their final World U20s Championship warm-up match against Italy at the Cardiff Arms Park on Friday (4.30pm kick-off).
Dragons trio Harri Ford, Ioan Duggan and Evan Minto are the only survivors from last week’s starting XV against England, as Whiffin gives a number of players the chance to stake a claim as he prepares to name his squad for the upcoming tournament in Italy.
Having delayed his squad selection until after the Italy match, Whiffin has switched up a number of positions for the visit of the Italians to the Welsh capital.
Six Nations captain Harry Beddall returns to the openside, joining up with new Dragons team-mate Minto in the back-row.
Brothers Ioan and Steffan Emmanuel will be able to start together again, after Steffan was on the bench and Ioan left out of the squad that faced England. The ex-Millfield scholars both impressed playing alongside each other earlier in the season, in the successful U20’s Six Nations campaign.
Fly-half Ford retains the 10 jersey from the England game, with both Harri Wilde and Carwyn Leggatt-Jones on the bench. The prodigious Legatt-Jones is in line for his first U20s appearance after impressing at the U18’s Six Nations festival in Vichy earlier in the year.
The last time these two sides faced the game was decided by just a kick as Roberto Fasti dragged his last-minute penalty wide to hand Wales their first away victory in five years.
However, with squad places on the line, performances will count for just as much as victory on Friday.
“We wanted to use the England game as an opportunity for some guys that hadn’t had much game time to experience top end match action and this Italy game was earmarked as final preparation for the World Cup and so it was almost a case of getting a few boys some minutes before we get on the plane,” explained Whiffin.
Italy have proved stubborn opposition in recent years at U20 level and Whiffin is sure the visitors will provide his side with a stern test.
“They will be a very tough team, you only have to go back to the game in the Six Nations and how tough it was out there,” he said.
“We snuck over the line thanks to a last minute shot at goal by them. It was a tough battle, they have got a very strong pack, possess a strong kicking game and have some really quick outside backs so they will challenge us right across the field.”
With a World Cup spot on the line where Wales face Argentina, France and Spain, Whiffin is hoping the players will rise to the occasion against Italy.
“We want boys feeling that pressure as we know what it is going to be like out at the World Cup so there are shirts up for grabs, the boys know that and we’ll hopefully see the best out of them on the back of it.”
Wales U20s team to face Italy: Jack Woods (Bath Rugby); Ioan Duggan (Dragons), Osian Darwin-Lewis (Cardiff Rugby), Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby), Aidan Boshoff (Bristol Bears); Harri Ford (Dragons), Logan Franklin (Dragons); Ioan Emanuel (Bath Rugby), Harry Thomas (Scarlets), Sam Scott (Bristol Bears), Dan Gemine (Ospreys), Luke Evans (Exeter Chiefs), Deian Gwynne (Gloucester), Harry Beddall (Dragons – Captain), Evan Minto (Dragons).
Replacements: Evan Wood (Pontypool/Cardiff Met), Louie Trevett (Bristol Bears), Jac Pritchard (Scarlets), Tom Cottle (Cardiff Rugby), Nick Thomas (Dragons), Ryan Jones (Dragons), Caio James (Gloucester), Keanu Evans (Scarlets), Sion Davies (Cardiff Rugby), Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby), Elis Price (Scarlets), Lewis Edwards (Ospreys), Sion Jones (Scarlets), Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (Scarlets).
