Wales Under 20s came out on top in the first ever match against a newly-formed Welsh Academies Under 23s team.

The new side has been introduced by the WRU to give players who have already passed through the age grade teams a shop window as they look to forge successful professional careers. It is also designed to pick up any players who have developed late and slipped through the cracks.

Richard Whiffin’s U20s side won 42-21 against their older and heavier counterparts as they prepare for their opening Six Nations game against France in Vannes on Saturday, February 1.

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They scored six tries in all, with the highlight showcasing the speed of Scarlets full back Iorrie Badham who ran half the length of the pitch to score. Badham then took a quick tap penalty just inside his own half, cutting through to give the scoring pass to fellow replacement Harri Ford to round off the win.

Captain Harry Beddall, one of six players with experience of playing at this age group, scored the opening try from a driving line-out in the seventh minute. When the initial drive had been held up twice, Beddall broke off and found a way to the try line on the blindside. Outside-half Harri Wilde landed the conversion

The U23s side hit back midway through the first half when Cardiff Met wing Josh Carrington rounded off a Gabe McDonald interception two metres from his line to touchdown for a try that Josh Phillips improved to level the scores.

Loosehead prop Ioan Emanuel then touched down twice in the space of five minutes to open up a 14-point gap for the U20s.

On the stroke of half-time the scratch side put together a great passage of play that ended with Swansea outside half Phillips executing a brilliant cut out pass to Dragons’ wing Walker Price. His try was converted by Phillips to cut the gap to one score at the break at 21-14 to Wales U20.

The second half saw both coaches empty their benches. There was almost a dramatic start as U20 No 8 Evan Minto went on a rampaging run into the 22, but his pass to Franklin didn’t go to hand and a golden chance was lost.

Delnovo extended the lead for Wales U20 with a 20 metre burst in which he showcased his speed, fancy footwork and power. Wilde’s latest conversion made it 28-14. It stayed that way until Lucas de la Rua drove over off the back of a maul for a try in the 64th minute that Sam Potter converted to once again make it a one score game.

Then came that Badham inspired high speed flourish to allow Wales U20 to end on a high. Ford converted Badham’s try and then also added to his own try to give Wales U20 plenty to smile about head of round two at Llandovery’s Church Bank ground on Friday 17 January – and then the Six Nations.

“I’m really pleased that a lot of players put their hands up. It was a really physical performance from us and we dominated large parts of the game,” said head coach Whiffin.

“We made a few errors that allowed the U23 team to stay in the game, which they took. They went hard at our breakdown and caused us a few problems, but I was delighted we got two late tries to pull away from them.

“We’ve been working hard on our physicality and we’re developing stronger, more physical and powerful athletes on the field. We were good in that area in the first half, but we left a few tries out there and that’s something we’ll have to tidy up before next week.

“They got it back to a tight game and so we had to rebuild. It was a good warm up for us ahead of meeting France.”

Wales U20: Scott Delnovo (Aberavon); Harry Rees-Weldon (Dragons), Elijah Evans (Cardiff Rugby), Steff Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby), Aidan Boshoff (Bristol Bears); Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby), Logan Franklin (Dragons); Ioan Emanuel (Bath), Saul Hurley (Aberavon), Jac Pritchard (Scarlets), Kenzie Jenkins (Bristol Bears), Dan Germine (Ospreys), Arthur Moore (Bath), Harry Beddall (Leicester Tigers, captain), Evan Minto (Dragons)
Reps: Evan Wood (Cardiff Met) for Hurley 58; Harrison Bellamy (Gloucester) for Ioan Emanuel 41; Owain James (Dragons) for Pritchard 55, Deian Gwynne (Gloucester) for Beddall 41; Caio James (Gloucester) for Moore 41; Sion Davies (Cardiff Rugby) for Franklin 58; Harri Ford (Dragons) for Wilde 64; Osian Darwin Lewis (Cardiff Rugby) for Evans 64; Iorrie Badham (Scarlets) for Delnovo 58; Bedall for Minto 74

Welsh Academies U23 XV: Jac Davies (Scarlets); Josh Carrington (Cardiff Met), Gabe McDonald (Scarlets), Fraser Jones (Cardiff Rugby), Walker Price (Dragons); Josh Phillips (Swansea), Rhodri Lewis (Scarlets, captain); Morgan Williams (Dragons), Tomoya Adachi (Dragons), Nathan Evans (Newport), Evan Hill (Ospreys), Evan Rees (Cardiff Rugby), Lucas de la Rua (Cardiff Rugby), Owen Conquer (Dragons)

Reps Used: Sam Scarfe (Dragons) for Adachi 50; Freddie Chapman (Ospreys) for Williams 50; Joe Cowell (Cardiff Rugby) for Evans 50; Ethan Phillips (Cardiff) for Hill 50; Kobi Rees (Ebbw Vale) for Evan Rees 56; Luca Settaro (Scarlets) for, Sam Potter (Dragons) for Phillips 56; Kodi Stone (Cardiff Rugby) for Price 56; Charlie Probert (RGC) for Conquer 55