Botham Jnr goes in to bat for Wales

WALES Under-20s coach Jason Strange hands just a second start to Blues flanker James Botham, grandson of England cricket legend Sir Ian Botham, for their Six Nations Championship finale with France tomorrow night (8.05pm GMT), writes Anthony Woolford.

Botham junior made his Wales debut in their recordbreaking 65-34 victory over Scotland last month but missed out on a start against their Irish counterparts at Parc Eirias last weekend.

The back-row forward, who made a try-scoring debut for Wales Sevens earlier this month in Australia, was born in Wales when his father Liam was playing rugby for Cardiff and has always wanted to play for the country.

His return to the U20s line-up is one of four changes rung by former outside-half Strange from the side that pulled off a stunning 41-27 win over the Irish in Colwyn Bay.

With injury ruling out openside flanker Will Jones, inside centre Kieran Williams – one of the competition’s stand-out players – takes the captaincy.

The 19-year-old has scored five tries in the campaign so far, including a brace against the Irish, and takes his place in a Welsh back division that sees the return of scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams and centre Ioan Nicholas.

In the forwards, tighthead Steff Thomas gets his first start in the front row, with Botham the only change in the backrow. Wales U20 team to face France: Rhun Williams (Cardiff Blues); Corey Baldwin (Scarlets), Ioan Nicholas (Scarlets), Kieran Williams (capt, Ospreys), Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets); Ben Jones (Cardiff Blues), Reuben MorganWilliams (Ospreys); Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues), Corrie Tarrant (Cardiff Blues), Steff Thomas (Scarlets), Alex Dombrandt (Cardiff Met), Sean Moore (Pontypridd), Shane Lewis-Hughes (Cardiff Blues), James Botham (Cardiff lues), Aled Ward (Cardiff Blues). Replacements: Ellis Shipp (Newport Gwent Dragons), Tom Mably (Cardiff Blues), Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Blues), Jack Pope (Bridgend), Sid Blackmore (Bath), Dane Blacker (Cardiff Blues), Arwel Robson (Newport Gwent Dragons), Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues).