Opportunity knocks at U20s World Championship

Opportunity knocks for Wales' rising rugby stars who are only too aware of the possibilities before them at the Under-20 World Championship.

As shop windows go, it is like having a double fronted premises on Oxford Street.

Last year the likes of Cam Winnett and Mackenzie Martin were similarly preparing to take on the best young talent from around the world.

Within seven months they were being picked by Warren Gatland for the Six Nations and are now in Australia with the senior side.

They were not the only success stories.

Fly-half Dan Edwards and number eight Morgan Morse returned from South Africa to play a key role in Ospreys reaching league and European knockout stages.

Scarlets' Archie Hughes and Bath's Louie Hennessey broke into their first teams, and captain Ryan Woodman, centre Joe Westwood and prop Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths all got game time at Dragons.

"Seeing Cam and Mackenzie play for Wales this year was amazing for everyone in the under-20s and shows how close we all are to achieving that," said Woodman.

"I never thought I'd play 11 times for the Dragons this season, or Morgan would play 13 games for Ospreys or Lucas [de la Rua] for Cardiff.

"Before last year, that all felt quite far fetched but now with the regions looking at younger players, we all know there's a chance.

"So playing at the World Cup is a great opportunity for everyone to show what they can do."

Paving that pathway has been part of the remit of technical coach Rob Howley, while Wales head coach Warren Gatland regularly casts an eye over under-20s training sessions.

"We've got an open-door policy now to the senior side that hasn't been there before," said under-20s head coach Richard Whiffin.

"The messaging is the same throughout, which means our lads can make that step up much more easily. They know how close they are.

"But you also can't imagine what it means for a young lad when Gats (Gatland) pulls them aside for a quiet word to give individual feedback."

All matches to be played at Athlone Sports Stadium, Cape Town

In 2023, Wales, under Mark Jones, recovered from a Six Nations whitewash to come within a point of New Zealand.

They were also one of only two teams to keep eventual winners France under 50 points and ultimately finished sixth - ahead of the Baby Blacks.

That rivalry will be renewed in South Africa this summer, with Wales once again in a pool including both New Zealand and France, as well as Spain.

"We can't let the name or the jersey of the All Blacks get on top of us," said Woodman, as Wales prepared for Saturday's opener against New Zealand.

"We showed last year we can match them. We all know we should have won that game (Wales led 19-5 at half-time) but perhaps their history in this tournament put some doubt in our mind. But that doubt has been washed away by that performance."

World Rugby is trialling several new laws at this year's World Championship. These include:

Whiffin believes moves to speed up the game will suit Wales, but thinks allowing a team to replace a player who has been sent off, after a 20-minute spell, sends the wrong message over discipline.

"I'm happy that speeding up the game makes it less of a slug-fest and opens space," he said.

"But about the 20-minute red card, New Zealand generally get what they want. If you genuinely want to clean up the game and get rid of foul play then teams should stay at 14. It's the only way players and teams learn."

This year, Wales return to Cape Town on the back of a fifth-place finish in the Six Nations, where they beat Scotland and Italy.

Woodman is back after missing that tournament with a broken thumb, though his successor and club-mate Harri Ackerman is still recovering from a broken leg.

The skipper will form a back-row full of potential alongside Morse and either Leicester flanker Harry Beddall or Cardiff's De La Rua, while hooker Isaac Young is another who will bolster the pack after missing the Six Nations.

Centre Hennessey is also appearing at a second World Championship and could thrive outside the handling skills of Cardiff fly-half Harri Wilde and Scarlets centre Macs Page.

The Emanuel brothers will both make their Wales debuts at this level after 17-year-old centre Steffan and 19-year-old prop Ioan were called into the squad.

Whiffin said: "We were a new coaching group just before the Six Nations but we've had a great great six-week camp where we got tactically and physically right to really attack this tournament."

Time will tell how many members of this squad can become next year's Cam Winnett or Mackenzie Martin.

Forwards: Jordan Morris (Dragons), Josh Morse (Scarlets), Ioan Emanuel (Bath Rugby), Harry Thomas (Scarlets), Isaac Young (Scarlets), Will Austin (Sale Sharks), Kian Hire (Ospreys), Sam Scott (Bristol), Jonny Green (Harlequins), Nick Thomas (Dragons), Osian Thomas (Leicester Tigers), Ryan Woodman (Dragons, capt), Lucas de la Rua (Cardiff), Harry Beddall (Leicester Tigers), Morgan Morse (Ospreys), Owen Conquer (Dragons).

Backs: Ieuan Davies (Bath), Rhodri Lewis (Ospreys), Lucca Setaro (Scarlets), Harri Wilde (Cardiff), Harri Ford (Dragons), Macs Page (Scarlets), Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff), Louie Hennessey (Bath), Elijah Evans (Cardiff), Aidan Boshoff (Bristol), Harry Rees-Weldon (Dragons), Kodie Stone (Cardiff), Huw Anderson (Dragons), Matty Young (Cardiff).