COSTELOW PUTS THE BOOT INTO ITALY AS WALES START WITH WIN
SAM Costelow was the match winner for Wales as they opened their Under-20s Six Nations account with a hard-fought victory on a rainy night at the Arms Park. The Scarlets fly-half landed five penalties and a neat drop-goal to finish with an 18-point match haul against the young Azzurri. His boot was the difference between the two teams, who claimed a try apiece in testing conditions.
The man of the match award, chosen by James Hook, went to Welsh openside flanker Harri Deaves, who had an outstanding allround game, excelling over the ball, in the tackle, in the air and with his tireless scavenging.
It was a real stop-start affair in the first half, with 22 penalties and four yellow cards, three of them handed out to Italian players by busy Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli.
Wales led 13-5 at the break thanks to a penalty try and the boot of No 10 Costelow, with Azzurri prop Ion Neculai having gone over to open the scoring.
After the break there was an exchange of penalties between Costelow and Italian scrum-half Manfredi Albanese, while there was also a fifth yellow card of the match as the otherwise hugely impressive Deaves was sin-binned.
It was then left to Costelow to kick Wales clear, landing a sharp drop-goal and two further penalties in the final quarter as the visitors paid the price for their high error count.
All the matches in this rescheduled Six Nations are being played at Cardiff Arms Park, with Ireland and England having recorded bonus-point victories over Scotland and France respectively earlier in the day.
Ireland had opened the day with a 38-7 sixtry victory over 14-man Scotland as flanker
Harri Morris was sent off for taking out fullback Jamie Osborne in the air.
Alex Soroka, Sam Illo, captain Alex Kendellen, Shane Jennings and Osborne scored alongside a penalty try. Scotland responded with a score from centre Elliot Gourlay.
England triumphed 38-22 after bouncing back from a 19-3 half-time deficit, France wing Nelson Epee scoring a first-half hattrick.
England reacted in the second half with two tries from Sam Riley and other scores from flanker Lucas Brooke, son of former New Zealand back-rower Zinzan, full-back Orlando Bailey and wing Arthur Relton. Flyhalf Fin Smith added 13 points.
Next up for Wales are reigning U20s Six Nations champions Ireland on Friday night.
WALES U20S: Jacob Beetham (Cardiff); Dan John (Exeter), Ioan Evans (Pontypridd), Joe Hawkins (Ospreys), Carrick McDonough (Dragons); Sam Costelow (Scarlets), Harri Williams; Garyn Phillips (Ospreys), Efan Daniel (Cardiff), Nathan Evans (Cardiff), Joe Peard (Dragons), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter), Alex Mann (Cardiff, capt), Carwyn Tuipulotu (Scarlets), Harri Deaves (Ospreys).
REPS: Oliver Burrows (Exeter), Theo Bevacqua (Cardiff), Lewys Jones (Nevers), James Fender (Ospreys), Tristan Davies (Ospreys), Ethan Lloyd (Cardiff), Will Reed (Dragons), Tom Florence (Ospreys), Morgan Richards (Dragons/Pontypridd), Eddie James (Scarlets), Evan Lloyd (Cardiff).