POWERFUL prop Jordan Morris has been given the chance to show what he can do as a Wales starter in the World Rugby U20 Championship clash with Australia after ‘simmering’ on the bench.
Loosehead Morris comes into the XV for the fifth-place play-off semi-final against the young Wallabies at Stellenbosch after making a big impact off the bench in the group stages.
He is joined in the starting line-up by Dragons forwards Ryan Woodman and Nick Thomas at blindside flanker and lock while fly-half Harri Ford is among the replacements.
Morris is highly rated by both the Dragons and the national coaches and has shown up well in South Africa.
After making a big impact as a replacement against New Zealand, Spain and France he is now charged with doing the same with 1 on his back.
PROMISING: Dragons prop Jordan Morris will start for Wales U20s against Australia (Image: Huw Evans Agency)
“We are excited by his athletic ability and the power that he possesses,” said head coach Richard Whiffin.
“We have had him on simmer on the bench. He has come on and had a massive impact every game, so this is the right time for a start and to give that impact from the off.
“The game now is so much about power and collisions so to have his threat at loosehead gives us a massive weapon.”
Morris is set to rack up the minutes in Super Rygbi Cymru in the coming campaign, with Whiffin expecting the 20-year-old to then start challenging the senior looseheads.
“He will get men’s rugby and cut his teeth against experienced pros,” said Whiffin.
“He is very well thought of by us at the Welsh Rugby Union and the Dragons, so I would hope that come the back end of next season he will have progressed to possibly be pushing for minutes within that senior set-up.
“However, he is still young as a prop and you have to give those guys time to come through.”
Two Dragons have flown home from the tournament with full-back Huw Anderson and wing Harry Rees-Weldon suffering illness and a hamstring injury respectively.
Cardiff Met lock Gethyn Cannon, from Machen, has joined up with the squad and is on the bench.
The Aussies will be smarting after being denied a shot at the semi-finals when their group decider against Ireland was cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch.
They were livid at that decision and Whiffin, who is wary of Australia being fresher, also felt the fixture should have been played in tough conditions.
Wales U20: Matty Young (Cardiff); Kodie Stone (Cardiff), Macs Page (Scarlets), Louie Hennessey (Bath), Aidan Boshoff (Bristol); Harri Wilde (Cardiff), Rhodri Lewis (Scarlets); Jordan Morris (Dragons), Isaac Young (Scarlets), Sam Scott (Bristol), Jonny Green (Harlequins), Nick Thomas (Dragons), Ryan Woodman (Dragons, captain), Harry Beddall (Leicester), Morgan Morse (Ospreys).
Replacements: Harry Thomas (Scarlets), Ioan Emmanuel (Bath), Kian Hire (Ospreys), Gethyn Cannon (Cardiff Met), Lucas de la Rua (Cardiff), Lucca Setaro (Scarlets), Harri Ford (Dragons RFC), Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff).
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