FOUR Dragons RFC players will start Wales top of the table clash with Italy in the U20 Six Nations Summer Series.
The two sides are clear at the top of Pool B after each winning both of their opening games.
The winners in Treviso on Wednesday night (7pm kick off) will tops the group and play off for the title against the winners of Pool A.
Morgan Lloyd continues at scrum half after his man-of-the-match display in the comeback win against Georgia, and tight head Nathan Evans and wing Oli Andrew will also start.
Ryan Woodman has also been named in the starting line-up, but has been moved from flanker to number eight.
Byron Hayward has made two changes to the side that beat Georgia, with Aberavon’s Ben Williams who earns his first start at flanker after coming off the bench last time out.
Cardiff Rugby’s Efan Daniel’s also returned to replace Exeter Chiefs’ Oli Burrows at hooker.
“I thought we fought back well and showed a lot of character in that game [against Georgia],” said Hayward.
“We went in 21-13 down at half time and were in a battle, that’s for sure. Georgia were a very well organised and physical side so to dig ourselves out of the hole and come back with 17 unanswered points to get us to a 30-21 lead was on the back of good execution to start with, then character and fight to get the victory.
“Speaking to a lot of the players after the game and the days following, they had never experienced playing against a side like Georgia in terms of the physicality before. Some of these boys have played URC and senior rugby in England so it’s a great experience for them.”
Hayward said that win was a measure of how far the group have come since finishing fifth in the Six Nations.
“That was something Joe Hawkins mentioned post-match,” he said. “He simply said that in the Six Nations we may not have come back from a deficit like that.
“They beat us in the Six Nations and they beat England so we know how tough it is going to be.
“They are unbeaten here and they are a very strong side. They have a powerful driving maul which is an area where we have had to focus on to make sure we are better at defending them because a lot of their tries have come from that area of the game.
“We know it is going to be a tough day defensively and I think it is going to be a real proper test match - a good hard physical game and it could be a one score game either way.”
The Wales squad in full is: Cameron Winnett (Cardiff Rugby), Oli Andrew (Dragons RFC), Mason Grady (Cardiff Rugby), Joe Hawkins (Ospreys – Capt), Harri Houston (Ospreys), Dan Edwards (Ospreys), Morgan Lloyd (Dragons RFC); Rhys Barratt (Cardiff Rugby), Efan Daniel (Cardiff Rugby), Nathan Evans (Dragons RFC), Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Williams (Aberavon), Ethan Fackrell (Cardiff Rugby), Ryan Woodman (Dragons RFC).
Replacements: Oli Burrows (Exeter Chiefs), Cameron Jones (Ospreys), Adam Williams (Cardiff Rugby), Mackenzie Martin (Cardiff Rugby), Morgan Morse (Ospreys), Luke Davies (Llanelli), Josh Phillips (Scarlets), Bryn Bradley (Harlequins), Joe Westwood (Dragons RFC), Iestyn Hopkins (Ospreys), Caleb Salmon (Scarlets).
The game will be broadcast live on the Six Nations Rugby YouTube channel or with Welsh commentary on the WRU YouTube channel.
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