Junior World Cup Italy 2015
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#7 Ollie Griffiths 2015 World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Italy
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2015 World U20 Championship: 2 -22 June 2105 Wales U20 22-12 Ireland U20
Wales Under-20 stayed on course for fifth place at the World Rugby U20 Championship after beating Ireland 22-12 in Viadana on Monday. Tries from Dafydd Howells, Seb Davies and Josh Adams, plus seven points from the boot of Jarrod Evans gave Wales a 22-0 lead at half-time. Ireland hit back through Ciaran Gaffney and Charlie Rock after the break but Wales’ defence held firm for victory. Wales now face Australia on Saturday in the fifth-place play-off. Australia beat Scotland 31-21 in Calvisano to book their place against the Welsh. The victory over Ireland did not come without cost for Wales, as fly-half Evans has a suspected broken cheekbone and centre Garyn Smith pulled a hamstring. Despite losing two of his starting players to injury, coach co-ordinator Allan Lewis was delighted with the quality of Wales’ attacking play. “The first 20 minutes the boys scored three tremendous tries,” said Lewis. “The young coaches have been encouraging this group of players to play with ball in hand and to make decisions out on the field, and the first three tries that were scored were quite superb. “It was a delight to watch them, they’re good enough to grace any international field.” In the pool stages Wales lost to France and reigning champions England, ending their title hopes, before beating Japan 66-3 to set up their match against Ireland.
England U20 30-16 Wales
Slow first half costs Wales shot at Rugby World Championship glory 22:11, 6 June 2015 By Gareth Griffiths Wales slipped to a 22-0 first-half deficit and never recovered despite an improved second-half performance in Calvisano Wales’ Jarrod Evans takes on England’s Rory Jennings. Wales Under-20s saw their dream of Junior World Championship glory disappear in Italy as the young stars paid for a shocking start against defending
champions England.Wales slipped to a 22-0 first-half deficit and never recovered despite an improved second-half performance in Calvisano as England picked up a bonus point win. It was a second successive defeat after the loss against France and means Wales can’t qualify for the semi-finals and will be playing for the lesser places with the final group game against Japan on Wednesday. Wales had defeated England in the Six Nations in Colwyn Bay but there was to be no repeat. Pontypridd and Blues pair Jarrod Evans and Liam Belcher came into the starting line-up at outside-half and hooker while England made four changes to the side that beat Japan 59-7. There was a 10-minute delay and Wales made the worst possible start when Adam Beard caught the kick-off but his side were counter rucked off the ball and flanker Ollie Griffiths gave away a penalty for not rolling away. England outside-half Rory Jennings slotted over the penalty. Wales responded with a smart scrum move that saw scrum-half Tomos Williams break through the England defence only for England full-back Aaron Morris to stop hopes of a Welsh try with a deliberate knock-on. New Zealand referee Brendon Pickerill showed Morris a yellow card but decided on a penalty rather than a penalty try despite Wales having men on the outside. Wales went for the try through the driving lineout but centre Owen Watkin spilled the ball and the chance was lost. Wales gave away a couple of penalty and 14-man England proved more clinical from their first attacking driving lineout and centre Max Clark dived over after wing George Perkins was held up just short. Jennings converted.Wales suffered another blow when No.8 Harrison Keddie was forced off with a shoulder injury and replaced by Jon Fox, while captain Rory Thornton temporarily went off with a blood injury with Seb Davies coming on. The change in personnel didn’t stop the indiscipline, with Griffiths the main culprit, as they continued to give away penalties and that enabled the English to lay the platform for wing Howard Packman to canter over following some woeful Welsh defence. Wales were again guilty of naivety after Thornton gave away a penalty on
their own line. The Welsh youngsters failed to respond to a quickly taken tap penalty from Stuart Townsend who dived over and Jennings converted. Wales finally scored their first points after 31 minutes when Blues outside-half Jarrod Evans slotted over a penalty. England were dominating the kicking game as Jennings expertly utilised the elements which created the pressure for Scarlets flanker Tom Phillips to concede a penalty under his own posts with the England outside-half slotting the kick.Wales grabbed their first try just before the interval through Ospreys centre Watkin when he stripped hooker Jack Walker of possession and strolled over for a try Evans converted as England led 25-10 at the break. Thornton’s side started the second-half strongly with second Davies penalty to reduce the gap to 12 points as England looked rattled for the first time in the game although the Welsh lineout struggled to function. Newport Gwent Dragons flanker Griffiths was become more prominent and launched a counter-attack with England full-back Morris again getting in the way but this time the ball went back. Griffiths forced England to give away a penalty which Evans missed after replacement back-rower Fox was forced off the field. Wales were far more competitive at the breakdown and structured in attack in the second-half as they kept possession England gave away penalties with Evans reducing the deficit to nine points. But the decision to go for the three points halted the momentum and England struck back with some set-piece dominance as their strong scrum forced Wales to give away a penalty before No.8 Sam Skinner was driven over from the ensuing lineout Skinner was denied a second score with a forward pass before Scarlets flanker Tom Phillips was yellow-carded for a professional foul.
Wales U20 23-28 Australia
Wales Under-20 ended their World U20 Championship campaign in sixth place as they were beaten by Australia in the fifth-place play-off. Australia led 14-5 at half-time thanks to tries from Adam Korczyk and Lukhan Lealaiaulolo-Tui, while Wales scored through Josh Adams. Folau Faingaa and Jonah Placid stretched Australia’s lead, only for Elis Wyn Benham to cross for Wales. hey scored another through Lloyd Lewis, but Australia held on to win. Australia started strongly and scored the game’s opening try through number eight Korczyk, converted by Andrew Deegan. Wales responded as wing Adams dived over in the corner, only for Australia to replenish their lead as lock Lealaiaulolo-Tui powered over from a rolling maul. That left Wales trailing 14-5 at half-time, though they chipped away at that deficit with two penalties from Daniel Jones. Tries from front-rower Faingaa and player of the tournament nominee Placid put Australia in control, but Wales refused to yield. Benham scored out wide and Australia’s Campbell Magnay was sent off for a second yellow card. Wales’ Lewis touched down for a late try but Australia withstood the pressure to claim victory.
Wales U20 10-19 France U20
Wales Under-20 were beaten by France in their opening World Rugby U20 Championship game in Italy. Early tries from Arthur Bonneval and Thomas Ramos gave France a 12-3 lead at half-time. Les Bleuets extended their lead with a fine team score from Lucas Blanc in the second half. Garyn Smith crossed for Wales, who put their opponents under pressure late in the game, but France held on for victory. Wales’ next match is against England on Saturday, 6 June.
France won 27-5 when they faced Wales in the Six Nations in February, and they made a confident start at Calvisano’s Stadio San Michele. Wing Bonneval scored the first try after an early spell of pressure and, with 13 minutes gone, full-back Ramos touched down in the corner. Ramos converted his own score, before fly-half Daniel Jones claimed Wales’ first points with a penalty. France stretched their lead to 19-3 early in the second half as wing Blanc finished off a flowing team move, but Wales gave themselves hope as centre Smith barged over from close range. Wales attacked willingly in the closing stages of the game, but they were thwarted by a resolute French side.
Wales U20 66-3 Japan
Tries: Adams 2, Benham 2, Howells, Belcher, Beard, Davies, Phillips, Evans Cons: Evans 5, Jones 3 Japan U20 (3) 3 Pen: Noguchi Wales ran in 10 tries as they thrashed Japan to secure their first win of the 2015 World U20 Championship. Joshua Adams and Elis-Wyn Benham scored two tries apiece as Wales secured their spot in the fifth to eighth place play-offs. Dafydd Howells, Liam Belcher, Adam Beard, Seb Davies, Tom Phillips and Jarrod Evans also crossed for tries. Wales lost 19-10 to France in their opening game before a 30-16 defeat to double champions England last Saturday.
Tuesday 9 June 2015
WALES Under-20s need only ask full-back Dafydd Howells about the threat of Japan in their final group game at the World Championship. The Welsh youngsters are yet to register a point in the tournament after being hindered by slow starts in their 19-10 loss to France and 30-16 defeat to England. However, they head into tomorrow evening’s game at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella (kick-off 5.30pm) knowing that a bonus point win should be enough to secure a place in the fifth to eighth place playoffs, which would have
ramifications for the seedings for next year’s tournament in England. It would be a huge shock if Wales don’t triumph this evening but the young Japanese have had their moments in the tournament, pushing the English hard in the second half of a 59-7 loss and then causing a stir by bossing Les Bleuets at the set piece in a 47-7 reverse. And they can take inspiration from the Brave Blossoms’ 2013 exploits against the Welsh seniors, who featured Howells in their ranks, when they were agonisingly beaten 22-18 in Osaka before taking a famous scalp 23-8 in Tokyo. “Japan have a very attractive, adventurous style of play with a strong scrum and good driving lineout. If we give them an inch they will take a mile,” said Under-20s coach Richard Hodges. “England put 59 on them and France 47 so we have to use that as a marker but we can’t go out and play sevens rugby from the beginning. They are non-stop in terms of their work rate and if we don’t get it right we could come a cropper. “We will pay them their due respects, Japan are a decent side and will beat somebody somewhere soon and we need to make sure it’s not us.” Three Dragons feature with loosehead Luke Garrett and openside Ollie Griffiths making their third successive starts while Keagan Bale backs up Garrett on the bench. Seb Davies slots in for Dragons and Ebbw Vale number eight Harri Keddie, who was forced off with an arm injury against the English.
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Wales Josh Adams, Keagan Bale, Adam Beard, Liam Belcher, Leon Brown, Seb Davies, Ryan Elias, Jarrod Evans, Jon Fox, Luke Garrett, Ollie Griffiths, Kieran Hardy, Dafydd Howells, Dan Jones, Joe Jones, Harri Keddie, Harri Keddie, Lloyd Lewis, Tyler Morgan, Torin Myhill, Tom Phillips, Garyn Smith, Lee Taylor, Joe Thomas, Rory Thornton, Owen Watkin, James Whittingham, Tomos Williams
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