Wales Can End World Rugby U20 Campaign On a High Against Wallabies

Wales’ campaign at the World Rugby U20 Championship reaches its conclusion in South Africa on Friday when they face Australia in Cape Town in the fifth/sixth place playoff following the battling victory over Georgia.

Mark Jones’ side must look to us the power game against the Wallabies as they look for their best finish in the competition since 2013 according to Welsh rugby coach, analyst, and consultant, Tomas Marks.

Over the last six Junior RWC they have finished in 6th or 7th, so it’s an opportunity for these players to go one better than previous Welsh teams.

Wales beat Georgia in the last RWC fixture by 40-21 in an attritional battle on a cabbage patch of a pitch.

This was a close encounter up until 50 minutes until Wales pulled away with five second half tries from centres Louie Hennessey and Joe Westwood, full back Harri Houston and sub flanker Lucas De La Rua.

Harri Houston was the pick of the backs in this match as he scored a try, carried a dozen times and made three line breaks from fullback.

Houston’s try showed a touch of class as he left the miss pass from Archie Hughes to drift across his body and allow him to beat the oncoming defender and accelerate into the corner for the try.

The Welsh team can expose Australia with their power game as Ireland and Fiji scored six tries with the pick and go tactic. Head coach Mark Jones has used some innovative lineout moves in this tournament and he can use these strike plays to manipulate this vulnerable lineout defence.

Australia is a team that defends by focussing on the ball, which was a tactic used by Ronan O’Gara when he was an assistant coach at the Crusaders. This is an interesting defensive tactic but it can be exposed by clever playmakers like Archie Hughes and Dan Edwards with flat passes on the gain line for strike runners.

This will be another great learning experience for this young Welsh squad as they look to finish in fifth.

Wales U20 v Australia U20, Friday 14 July, Athlone Stadium.
15 Harri Houston (Ospreys)
14 Tom Florence (Ospreys)
13 Louie Hennessey (Bath Rugby)
12 Bryn Bradley (Harlequins)
11 Llien Morgan (Ospreys)
10 Dan Edwards (Ospreys)
9 Archie Hughes (Scarlets);
1 Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths (Dragons RFC)
2 Lewis Lloyd (Ospreys)
3 Kian Hire (Ospreys)
4 Evan Hill (Ospreys)
5 Jonny Green (Harlequins)
6 Ryan Woodman (Dragons RFC – Capt)
7 Lucas De La Rua (Cardiff Rugby)
8 Morgan Morse (Ospreys)|

Replacements
16 Lewis Morgan (Scarlets)
17 Louis Fletcher (Ospreys)
18 Tom Pritchard (Cardiff Met)
19 Mackenzie Martin (Cardiff Rugby)
20 Gwilym Evans (Cardiff Rugby)
21 Joe Westwood (Dragons RFC)
22 Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby)
23 Harri Williams (Ampthill)