Wales U20s team to face Australia in World Rugby U20s Championship opener

Wales have named their side to face Australia in this Wednesday's opening day of the World Rugby U20 Championship in Béziers (20:00 BST).

Cai Evans (Ospreys) starts at fullback, with Rio Dyer (Dragons) and Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets) on the wings. An all-Scarlet midfield features Ioan Nicholas at 12 and Corey Baldwin at 13, alongside a Cardiff Blues combination of fly-half Ben Jones and scrum-half Dane Blacker.


Blindside Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers) continues in the captaincy role he first took up during this year's U20 Six Nations, with Dan Davis (Scarlets) and Taine Basham (Dragons) completing the energetic back row.

Three uncapped players are named on the bench: prop Rhys Davies (Scarlets), and two late call-ups to the squad in tighthead Will Davies-King (Cardiff Blues) and back rower Lewis Ellis-Jones (Scarlets).

Wales U20 team to face Australia:

15 Cai Evans (Ospreys)
14 Rio Dyer (Dragons)
13 Corey Baldwin (Scarlets)
12 Ioan Nicholas (Scarlets)
11 Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets)
10 Ben Jones (Cardiff Blues)
9 Dane Blacker (Cardiff Blues)
1 Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues)
2 Iestyn Harris (Cardiff Blues)
3 Rhys Henry (Ospreys)
4 Rhys Davies (Bath Rugby)
5 Max Williams (Dragons)
6 Tommy Reffell (c) (Leicester Tigers)
7 Dan Davis (Scarlets)
8 Taine Basham (Dragons)

Replacements

16 Dewi Lake (Ospreys)
17 Rhys Davies (Scarlets)
18 Will Davies-King (Cardiff Blues)
19 Lewis Ellis-Jones (Scarlets)
20 Lennon Greggains (Dragons)
21 Harri Morgan (Ospreys)
22 Ben Thomas (Cardiff Blues)
23 Joe Goodchild (Dragons)