Four Scarlets have been named in the Wales U20s squad to take on hosts Georgia in the opening round of the World Junior World Championship in Tiblisi on Saturday (15:00 ko).
Second row Will Evans will make his Wales debut and is included in the starting XV alongside fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones and tight-head prop Jac Pritchard. Yestyn Cook will provide tight-head cover from the bench.
Head coach Richard Whiffin has selected a side that includes 10 players who featured in last year’s tournament.
Cardiff centre Steffan Emanuel will co-captain the Wales side alongside Gloucester back-rower Deian Gwynne, a former Scarlets U18s player.
“It’s going to be a great occasion taking on Georgia in their home patch in front of their hostile crowd,” said Whiffin.
“We’ve got to put in place a game plan to quieten them down and we know it is going to be a big physical challenge against what is a formidable pack. However we feel we have got plenty of weapons that can counteract that.
“We’ve got three quick games in our pool and the first game can really set you up nicely considering we have got games five days after each other, but all eyes are on Georgia – we know it is going to be a very tough game. They are well coached and play a lot of games and enter the competition having just beaten the junior All Blacks so they will be battle hardened for us.”
The two sides have only met once previously in the junior World Championship, with Wales defeating Georgia 40-21 in Paarl (South Africa) in 2023. Included in the side that day were Morgan Morse, Dan Edwards, Louie Hennessey and Mackenzie Martin who all went on to claim senior international honours.
Wales U20s v Georgia, Sat, June 27, Avchala Stadium (15:00)
15 Lewis Edwards (Ospreys); 14 Rhys Cummings (Cardiff Rugby), 13 Osian Darwin-Lewis (Cardiff Rugby), 12 Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby) Co-capt, 11 Tom Bowen (Cardiff Rugby); 10 Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (Scarlets), 9 Siôn Davies (Cardiff Rugby); 1 George Tuckley (Dragons RFC), 2 Tom Howe (Cardiff Rugby), 3 Jac Pritchard (Scarlets), 4 Will Evans (Scarlets), 5 Tom Cottle (Cardiff Rugby), 6 Deian Gwynne (Gloucester Rugby) Co-capt, 7 Caio James (Gloucester), 8 Evan Minto (Dragons RFC).
Replacements: 16 Oscar Thomas (Bath Rugby), 17 Dylan James (Ospreys), 18 Yestyn Cook (Scarlets), 19 Osian Williams (Bristol Bears), 20 Sam Morgan (Ospreys), 21 Cai Gealy (Bristol Bears), 22 Lloyd Lucas (Cardiff Rugby), 23 Dylan Scott (Cardiff Met).