Wales U18 hung on to make a clean sweep of their three games at the Six Nations U18 Festival in Vichy as they beat Italy 41-39.
Both sides scored five tries with the Italians, who had beaten Wales on home soil in a warm-up game ahead of the Festival, coming on strong at the death to close a 23-point game to a mere two.
Cerrig Smith’s side were good value for their triumph, though, as they added the scalp of the Italians to those of Ireland and Georgia picked up in their earlier matches. They struggled against the power of the Italian scrum in the first half and replacement hooker Ettore Dinarte went on to score a hat-trick of tries from line outs in the second half.
But every time Wales moved the ball away from the tight exchanges, they looked a threat and in outside half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones they had a guiding influence who managed seven out of seven kicks off the tee in an 18-point match tally. The Llandovery College star still has another year to go at this level and proved he has developed from last year’s tournament.
It was the first of his two penalties that got Wales off the mark in the opening minutes and then his quick thinking in bagging a 50-22 from a free kick just inside his own half that set up the line-out platform from which Scarlets second row Kai Jones drove over for the first of the game’s 10 tries.
Leggatt-Jones added the extras and Wales were 10-0 ahead with seven minutes on the clock. If that was just the start Wales head coach Richie Pugh had been hoping for, he must have known there would be a reaction from the Italians.
Over the next 10 minutes the young Azzurri picked up four scrum penalties and drove starting hooker Jacopo De Rossi over from a five metre line out for their first try. Outside half Francesco Braga converted and then kicked a 42 metre penalty from another scrum offence to level matters.
Wales kept on pushing forward and a brilliant charge into the Italian 22 by No 8 Noah Williams paved the way for Tiaan Hall, George Leyland and Alfie Prygodzicz to hand Leggatt-Jones a clear run to the line for the second try. The Scarlets outside half added the conversion and then swapped penalties with Braga to leave Wales leading 20-13 with half-time rapidly approaching.
But Wales were not done yet. Some more great handling, with loose head prop Leyland producing a brilliant pull back pass in the 22 as he took a huge hit enabled centres Jack Hoskins and Bailey Cutts to send Noah Morgan racing in for a third try.
The inevitable conversion from Leggatt-Jones made it 27-13 at the break and the Welsh youngsters hit the ground running in the second half. Braga picked up a yellow card six minutes after the re-start and Leggatt-Jones kicked into the 22. From the line out Wales managed to squeeze flanker Prygodzicz over the line from 10 metres out.
Leggatt-Jones made it six out of six from the tee as Wales extended their lead to 34-13, but five minutes later Dinarte picked up the first of his three tries from a driving line out. If that gave the Italians renewed heart, they found themselves trailing by even more after they bungled the re-start on the edge of their 22.
As two players collided and the ball ran free, Bailey Cutts nipped in, said ‘thank you very much’ and raced the length of the 22 to score Wales’ fifth try in the 49th minute. Leggatt-Jones magnificent seventh successful kick of the day then gave his side a 23-point lead at 41-18.
Both sides made the customary changes to their line-ups as they emptied their benches, and the Italians refused to give up the cause. Dinarte picked up his second try from a neat peel around the front of a line-out in the Welsh 22 and then replacement scrum half Mattia Andretti rounded off another charge from Dinarte with a fourth try.
With their tails up, and Wales beginning to hang on, the Italians got a fifth and final try in the last move of the match with another driving line out move that earned Dinarte his hat-trick. Braga converted off the left touchline, but it was too little, too late to rescue the game.
Wales finished the Festival unbeaten and can add their wins over Ireland, Georgia and Italy to the one their earned against Scotland in another warm-up match.
Wales U18 Men (v Italy)
15 Rhys Cummings (Cardiff Rugby)
14 Noah Morgan (Dragons)
13 Bailey Cutts (Cardiff Rugby)
12 Jack Hoskins (Ospreys)
11 Rhys Cole (Dragons)
10 Carwyn Leggat-Jones (Scarlets)
9 Carter Pritchard (Dragons)1 George Leyland (Bristol Bears)
2 Tiaan Hall (Dragons)
3 Nathan Davies (Scarlets)
4 Kai Jones (Scarlets)
5 Osian Williams (Bristol Bears)
6 Cerrig Smith (Dragons, captain)
7 Alfie Prygodzicz (Cardiff Rugby)
8 Noah Williams (Bristol Bears)Replacements
16 James Talami (Dragons)
17 Dylan Barratt (Cardiff Rugby)
18 Jayden Maybank (Ospreys)
19 Gabe Williams (Cardiff Rugby)
20 Tiehi Chatham (Dragons)
21 Luca Woodyatt (Gloucester)
22 Lloyd Lucas (Cardiff Rugby)
23 Jack Harrison (Bath)
25 Brogan Leary (Dragons)
26 Morgan Crew (Yorkshire Academy)