Wales Under 20s secured a memorable victory over Australia in a thrilling Junior World Championship match in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Welsh side survived a tense finish to defeat the Junior Wallabies 38 to 31 and move into the fifth place playoff.
The win marked Wales’ first victory over a major southern hemisphere team since they defeated New Zealand in the 2019 tournament. The result also ended Australia’s hopes of progressing further in the competition.
Wales Make Strong Start Against Australia
Wales began the match with confidence and quickly created pressure on the Australian defence. Wing Rhys Cummings opened the scoring in the 14th minute after showing excellent control to finish Steffan Emanuel’s kick in the corner.
The Welsh team continued their attacking momentum when centre Osian Darwin Lewis crossed the line after a powerful run from number eight Evan Minto. Carwyn Leggatt Jones added the conversion to give Wales an early advantage.
Australia struggled with injuries in the opening stages, losing three players before the first quarter had ended. However, the Junior Wallabies responded strongly and fought their way back into the contest.
Australia Fight Back With Tries
Australia reduced the gap after Sam Blank scored a try, while Tom Farr Jones added two more tries to put pressure on Wales. The match continued to swing between both teams as neither side could take full control.
A yellow card for Wales kicker Carwyn Leggatt Jones gave Australia an important opportunity. The Junior Wallabies used the advantage and increased their attacking pressure before taking the lead.
Despite being behind on the scoreboard at different stages, Wales remained composed and continued to challenge Australia’s defence.
Late Drama Decides The Match
The final moments produced the biggest drama of the game. Australia believed they had scored the winning try in the 79th minute when Jonty Fowler crossed the line.
However, the Television Match Official reviewed the incident and ruled that Australia had knocked the ball forward during the move. The try was cancelled, allowing Wales to hold onto their narrow victory.
Wales finished the match with five tries, including scores from Cummings, Darwin Lewis, flanker Deian Gwynne, and a penalty try. Leggatt Jones contributed 11 points with his accurate kicking.
Wales Prepare For Scotland Playoff
Wales will now face Scotland in the fifth place playoff of the Junior World Championship. Scotland reached the match after defeating Argentina 44 to 26 in their previous game.
The match will take place on Friday, 17 July at 17:30 BST. A victory over Scotland would give Wales their best tournament finish since reaching the final in 2013.
Coach Richard Whiffin’s team will enter the game with confidence after defeating Australia in one of their biggest wins in recent years.
