Wales U20s Revamp Lineup for Showdown with Spain
In a strategic move, Wales U20s head coach Richard Whiffin has unveiled a revamped lineup to face Spain in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in South Africa on Thursday (13:00 BST).
Following their narrow 41-34 defeat against New Zealand at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, Whiffin has made several changes to his starting XV. Only four players from the previous match have retained their places, with captain Ryan Woodman continuing in the back row and Morgan Morse switching from number eight to open-side flanker.
“It keeps us alive in the pool to qualify for the top round of the semis so that is a big focus for us going forward,” Whiffin stated.
Key Changes in the Wales U20s Lineup
Jonny Green and Harry Rees-Weldon keep their spots in the revised Wales lineup as they return to the same venue to take on Spain, who suffered a 49-12 loss to France in their Pool A opener.
The Wales U20s squad for the Spain clash is as follows:
- Matty Young (Cardiff)
- Harry Rees-Weldon (Dragons)
- Elijah Evans (Cardiff)
- Steff Emanuel (Cardiff)
- Kodi Stone (Cardiff)
- Harri Ford (Dragons)
- Rhodri Lewis (Scarlets)
- Ioan Emanuel (Bath)
- Harry Thomas (Scarlets)
- Kian Hire (Ospreys)
- Jonny Green (Harlequins)
- Nick Thomas (Dragons)
- Ryan Woodman (Dragons, capt)
- Morgan Morse (Ospreys)
- Owen Conquer (Dragons)
Replacements:
- Isaac Young (Scarlets)
- Jordan Morris (Dragons)
- Sam Scott (Bristol Bears)
- Osian Thomas (Leicester Tigers)
- Will Austin (Sale Sharks)
- Ieuan Davies (Bath)
- Harri Wilde (Cardiff)
- Louie Hennessey (Bath)
Despite the defeat, Whiffin remains optimistic about his team’s chances, stating, “They have got massive energy and they will cause us problems, but we came into the tournament confident that we would challenge in every single game.”
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