U20 Six Nations: Wales team to play France

Today at 09:06 AM

Richard Whiffin's Wales U20s side will travel to the Stade de la Rabine in Vannes as they take on France Saturday evening. 

You have to go back 12 years for the last time the U20s tasted victory in France. That came in Clermont Auvergne. That day saw the likes of Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee, Gareth Thomas and Rhodri Williams play and all four are involved in Friday nights clash in Paris for the senior side. 

There are four players within the starting XV that will be making their debut for the U20s. Second row, Kenzie Jenkins joins Deian Gwynne and Evan Minto as the debutants in the pack. 

Dragons RFC scrum-half, Logan Franklin will also make his debut and is joined by Harri Wilde to complete the halfback's. 

Leicester Tigers, Harry Beddall captains the side from the openside and Nick Thomas who has played a lot for the Gwent regional side in both the United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup has also been named in the engine room. 

Brothers Steffan and Ioan Emanuel also are named in the starting XV. Ioan made a big impression after scoring a number of tries for the U20s when they played the Welsh Academies recently. 

Head coach, Richard Whiffin said: "It was a tough team to pick as a lot of guys have put their hands up over the past couple of weeks. 

"Where we've come to is a team full of pace, speed and power and ultimately in skill and that is how we want to attack the game on Saturday. 

"We've got boys with experience who know how we want to play and can help the younger boys in terms of our game model. The younger guys come in with a fresh view and new ideas and have an opportunity to push our game forward."

"It's important defensively we get off the line and take their space away and bring our jackal game into it and from an attack point of view, being able to put our speed and pace into the game and being smart around our kicking game will be vital," he added. 

Wales U20s v France U20s, Sat 1st Feb, Stade de la Rabine, 8.10pm
15 Scot Delnevo (Aberavon)
14 Harry Rees-Weldon (Dragons) 
13 Elijah Evans (Cardiff Rugby) 
12 Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby) 
11 Aidan Boshoff (Bristol Bears) 
10 Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby)
9 Logan Franklin (Dragons)
1 Ioan Emanuel (Bath Rugby) 
2 Harry Thomas (Scarlets) 
3 Sam Scott (Bristol Bears)
4 Kenzie Jenkins (Bristol Bears)
5 Nick Thomas (Dragons) 
6 Deian Gwynne (Gloucester) 
7 Harry Beddall (Leicester Tigers) Capt 
8 Evan Minto (Dragons) 

Replacements
16 Saul Hurley (Aberavon) 
17 Louie Trevett (Bristol Bears)
18 Jac Pritchard (Scarlets) 
19 Tom Cottle (RGC) 
20 Dan Gemine (Ospreys) 
21 Carwyn Edwards (Cardiff Met)
22 Harri Ford (Dragons) 
23 Tom Bowen (Cardiff Rugby)

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