“For such a young group to play in a calm and assured manner is really positive,” says Strange. “They dealt with the conditions and the environment really well. That was the most pleasing thing: the mental strength of the group, which we’re going to need a lot of this week as we prepare for England.”
Strange credits his team’s efforts on the back of limited preparation time, illustrating how theory and practice are two very different things when going into a match against a fired-up Italian side.”It’s one thing giving players clarity around what to expect on the pitch, but it’s another having to experience it and to execute a game plan,” he says. “They did that really well under pressure, and it was a standout performance, to be fair.”
An early try for the Italians, through their muscular pack, might have seemed portentous in the worsening conditions at the Stadio Giovanni Mari, but it was the Welsh response that most pleased Strange: “Seeing how they reacted under pressure, dealing with that early try and not panicking, that added to a really good all-round performance.”
Next up for Wales U20 is a sell-out match at Parc Eirias this Friday night (19:15) against World Rugby U20 Championship winners England. Strange explains: “We’re facing a different challenge this week against England, but we’ll prepare thoroughly and see what happens. There will be some similarities to last week’s match, in that England will bring a heavy pack and a big set-piece. Going into the match, we’ll be looking to continue a theme of strong leadership throughout the team, along with good decision-making.”
The head coach is enthusiastic about the development of his players, many of whom have played together throughout the international age groups. “The more time they have together, experiencing that type of unique pressure that is unique to international rugby, the better they will become as players.”
If you missed out on tickets for Friday’s sell-out match against England U20 at Parc Eirias, you can now get tickets for our next home match, against Ireland U20 on Saturday 11th March (18:30), by clicking here.
