Wales Under-20 bounced back from their midweek Pool A drubbing at the hands of New Zealand to beat Italy in Treviso at the Junior World Championship
ITALY U20 (6) 6
Pen: Gennari
DG: Campagnaro
WALES U20 (28) 56Tries: Young, Ross Jones, Hamilton, Walker, J Evans, James, Rhodri Jones, Siggery
Cons: Morgan 5
Pens: Morgan 2
Rheon James scored the pick of Wales U20's eight tries against Italy Wales Under-20 bounced back from their midweek Pool A drubbing at the hands of New Zealand to beat Italy in Treviso at the Junior World Championship.
Tom Young, Ross Jones, Luke Hamilton and Eli Walker crossed to give Wales a 28-6 half-time lead at Stadio Monigo.
With fly-half Matthew Morgan pulling the strings, Wales added further tries from Jon Evans, Rheon James, Rhodri Jones and Ed Siggery.
Wales will now almost certainly play-off for fifth to eighth place.
Italy were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty try from a series of five-metre scrums in the first quarter as Wales creaked at the set piece.
But the hosts only had a drop-goal from Michele Campagnaro and Marco Gennari's penalty to show for their efforts.
Wales' backline always looked dangerous, with James finishing off the pick of the tries as Wales counter-attacked from their own 22 before Morgan's stabbed kick allowed the centre to touch down.
Lock Macauley Cook was again outstanding as the captain led the way both in attack and defence.
The three pool winners and the runner-up with the best record advance to the semi-finals.
Wales' 92-0 loss to New Zealand in their previous game meant only extraordinarily one-sided results in other pools on Saturday would have kept their hopes alive.
England had a Pool C showdown with South Africa, while in Pool B Australia faced France and coach Richard Webster's Wales juniors were always likely to lose out in the points standings after their hammering by the Kiwis.
Wales U20: Ross Jones (Ospreys / Bridgend); Liam Williams (Llanelli), Owen Williams (Blues / Cardiff), Rheon James (Scarlets / Carmarthen Quins), Eli Walker (Ospreys / Swansea); Matthew Morgan (Ospreys / Swansea), Jonathan Evans (Dragons / Newport); Lewis Smout (Blues / Pontypridd), Kirby Myhill (Scarlets / Llanelli), Will Taylor (Ospreys / Swansea), Macauley Cook (capt, Blues / Cardiff), Cory Hill (Blues / Pontypridd), Luke Hamilton (Blues / Glamorgan Wanderers), Thomas Young (Blues / Cardiff), Ben Thomas (Ospreys / Bridgend).
Replacements: Jamie Sollis (Dragons / Cross Keys), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets / Llanelli), Owen Sheppeard (Blues / Pontypridd), Edward Siggery (London Irish), Lewis Jones (Blues / Pontypridd), Steve Shingler (London Irish), Iolo Evans (Scarlets / Llanelli).
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