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Six Blues set for Wales U20 opener

28th January 2014


Wales Under 20 head coach Byron Hayward has named his side for the opening round of the Under 20 Six Nations, against Italy on Friday night in Colwyn Bay - and includes six players from the Cardiff Blues.

Tom Williams, Callum Lewis, Ben Roach, James Sheekey, Leon Crump and Garyn Smith are all named in the match day 23.

Hayward said: "Friday night's game is our first chance to expose players to this level of international rugby and it will be a yardstick in many ways. We have new players throughout the side, for example at half back, but those players have experience outside them with captain Steffan Hughes at 12. The same can be said up front with experience in the front row and back row.

"Italy will be an unknown quantity as they haven't played any games yet this season but we are expecting a forward battle and that will be our first challenge, especially if the conditions are wet.

"Our focus must be on our own game and imposing our game plan on the match.”

Wales Under 20 team:

Afon Bagshaw (RGC); Dafydd Howells (Ospreys), Harri Evans (RGC), Steffan Hughes (capt, Scarlets), Joshua Adams (Scarlets); Ethan Davies (Dragons), Tom Williams (Blues); Callum Lewis (Blues), Elliot Dee (Dragons), Nicky Thomas (Ospreys ), Ben Roach (Blues), James Sheekey (Blues), Will Boyde (Carmarthen), Scott Matthews (Dragons), James Benjamin (Dragons)

Replacements: Scott Otten (Ospreys), Leon Crump (Blues), Benjamin Leung (Scarlets), Scott Andrews (Dragons), Connor Lloyd (Scarlets), Luke Price (Ospreys), Garyn Smith (Blues)