Mark Mapletoft's main difference between men's and U20s will delight many

Rugby fans are set for a veritable feast of Test rugby over the next month or so, with a spread of international matches most weekends.

Argentina’s victory over the British and Irish Lions signalled the start of a busy month for the leading Test nations, with the action only ramping up in July.

Added to the mix is the World Rugby U20 Championship, which gets underway this weekend in Italy, with England looking to defend the title they won in South Africa last year.

The tournament may serve as a perfect accompaniment to the feast of rugby that will be served over the next month, and, to many, may be more appealing. While the U20 tournament is the final stage before players enter senior rugby, there are subtle differences that make it an attractive prospect.

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World Rugby U20 Championship

England U20

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Scotland U20

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England U20 head coach Mark Mapletoft highlighted those differences recently, pinpointing the ball-in-play time as a key difference, with less kicking in age-grade rugby.

It is not hard to find a rugby viewer at a match or online who suffers from the amount of kicking that is on show in Test rugby. The 12 teams competing in Italy over the next month may offer some relief to that.

“Statistically, there’s a little bit more ball in hand, less kicking,” the coach said when asked to identify the differences. “A few more tries, typically that’s the way. Although it can vary from competition to competition, depending on the weather conditions.

“But if you look at the profile of the men’s game from under-18s through under-20s, into the Prem and into international rugby, typically there’s more kicking as the game gets older. There are less opportunities to go through multi-phase at the top level due to how good everybody is at competing for the ball on the floor. So the risk and reward isn’t there. So definitely high ball in play time.”

The differences do not end there though, with Mapletoft even describing the different personalities of the players.

“The lads are a little bit more like themselves,” he added. “Probably feel less pressure of being in a senior environment when the eyes and the media are on them 24/7.

“Hopefully, you see lots of fun and enjoyment. Enjoyment is one of our key pillars that we insist on. If they’re not enjoying themselves, they’re not going to perform well.”