'We’re not afraid': Wales name U20 squad for world championship

Wales U20 head coach Richard Whiffin is eyeing the semi-finals of this year’s World Rugby U20 Championship after naming his 30-player squad.

Whiffin’s side head into their opening match of the championship against Argentina U20 in Verona on June 29 in high spirits, having toppled world champions England in the final round of this year’s Six Nations, dashing their hopes of a Grand Slam. While England did exact revenge in a recent warm-up, winning 47-14, Whiffin said his side “know they can go out there and compete with so called top teams”.

Neath scrum-half Ellis Lewis is the only uncapped player in the squad, replacing Dragons’ Logan Franklin, who injured his arm recently.

Wales defeated championship hosts Italy 47-19 in their final warm-up before they get their campaign underway.

Fixture

World Rugby U20 Championship

Argentina U20

34 - 27

Full-time

Wales U20

All Stats and Data

“I think it is a very balanced squad with some quality experience returning from last year and some added emphasis from guys who have performed well during the Six Nations,” said Whiffin.

“We’ve got a pack that we feel can really deliver at the World Cup and look to be dominant at both the scrum and line-out and as a team we fully understand how we want to play. We’ve got some fantastic work rate in our outside backs that will not only get the ball back for us but be a real threat when we’ve got the ball.

“I think we’ve seen over the course of the Six Nations and these warm-up games we’ve got a set of backs that will put us in the right areas of the field and be smart with how we want to play.

“We’re excited about the championship but we still have a week’s training ahead of us before we get on the plane for Italy but we’ve done the hard work in terms of whittling down what was a really strong training squad to the 30 selected.

“I want to say a huge thank you to all the players that worked their socks off during the training camp – I said to them after the Italy game that the strength in the group is in those guys as there a lot of quality players that have helped us and a lot of good players haven’t made it to the plane. We really appreciated everyone’s efforts. The tournament is very attritional and we will likely need to call on some of those players through the tournament.

“I think the pleasing thing is the boys are confident and they know they can go out there and compete with so called top teams in the competition and we’re not afraid. We’re going out there saying we want to get into that top semi-final bracket and once you get into that bracket you never know what’s going to happen.

“It means we’ll need to play well and back those performances up but the boys are confident and we were close last year but didn’t get over the line – I think we’ve proved in the Six nations we can knock over some of those tighter games so hopefully we can see that in the World Cup.”

Wales U20 World Championship squad
Forwards (17)
Ioan Emanuel (Bath Rugby)
Louie Trevett (Bristol Bears)
Harry Thomas (Scarlets)
Saul Hurley (Aberavon)
Evan Wood (Pontypool)
Sam Scott (Bristol Bears)
Owain James (Dragons)
Jac Pritchard (Scarlets)
Luke Evans (Exeter Chiefs)
Kenzie Jenkins (Bristol Bears)
Nick Thomas (Dragons)
Tom Cottle (Cardiff Rugby)
Dan Gemine (Ospreys)
Deian Gwynne (Gloucester)
Harry Beddall (c) (Dragons)
Caio James (Gloucester)
Evan Minto (Dragons)

Backs (13)
Sion Davies (Cardiff Rugby)
Ellis Lewis (Neath)
Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby)
Harri Ford (Dragons)
Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby)
Elis Price (Scarlets)
Elijah Evans (Cardiff Rugby)
Osian Roberts (Sale Sharks)
Osian Darwin-Lewis (Cardiff Rugby)
Aidan Boshoff (Bristol Bears)
Lewis Edwards (Ospreys)
Jack Woods (Bath Rugby)
Tom Bowen (Cardiff Rugby)