A late try from winger Travis Tennant earned Wales victory in the under 19s international against Ireland.
Tennant crossed with just three minutes left on the clock to give Wales a four-point win, adding to his first half try. The wingers brace was matched on the other side of the field by Jacob Jones, with Sam Roberts scoring the other Welsh try.
Ireland never led throughout the match, but had fought back to level in the final quarter, thanks to tries from James Farrar, Matt Cahill, Ben Mulvany and Jake Parkes, and seemed to be finishing stronger. But Tennant’s late try claimed the win for the hosts.
Wales struck first in the eighth minute, making the most of good field position presented to them through a penalty. With the Irish defence flat-footed and expecting a kick on the last tackle, Warrington Wolves duo Junior Westwood and Jake Nottingham combined to put Jones in at the corner.
The lead was short-lived, as Wales coughed up possession on the first tackle of the next set, providing Ireland with their first attacking position of the match. The visitors capitalized with Farrar crossing.
Minutes later and Westwood was instrumental in Wales regaining the lead, spotting the space on the left wing after a Welsh break had dragged the Irish defence to the right, with the scrum-half sending an accurate kick that Jones took on the bounce to score his second of the afternoon.
The Irish threatened once again just before the midway point of the half, Ashurst making the clean break and providing Adam Quinn with a run to the line, only for the back-row forward to be denied by a fantastic try-saving tackle by Welsh full-back, Ethan Williams.
Welsh errors meant much of the remainder of the first half was spent with Ireland testing the Welsh defence but to no avail, with Daniel Coop’s score ruled out for a forward pass four minutes before the interval the only real moment of concern.
Ireland were made to rue not making the most of their opportunities when a sweeping left-to-right attack from Wales was finished in the corner by Tennant to open up a ten-point lead at half-time.
If the young men in green were wasteful in the first half, they showed a clinical edge at the start of the second. Williams was dispossessed on the halfway line and when the ball was shipped wide to Cahill he had plenty of work to do. But he showed good footwork and acceleration to round his opposite winger, then maintained his speed to see off the covering defence.
Wales were quick to respond, regaining the ten-point margin within minutes with a close range effort from Roberts easily converted by Westwood.
When Mulvany rumbled his way over just before the hour mark, the Welsh efforts in defence from the first half seemed to be catching up with them. With extra players to call upon from the interchange bench, the Irish were finishing with wind in their sails.
They drew level with twelve minutes remaining, a cross field kick bouncing off the shoulder off the Irish winger, and back into the path of Parkes who dotted down. Ashurst couldn’t nail the touchline conversions, meaning the match was all square entering the final 12 minutes.
Despite being in the ascendency, the Irish found themselves on the back foot when Welsh captain Dafydd Morgan made the break to leave the visitors defence reeling. As they regrouped on their own line, Westwood picked out a wonderful pass at dummy half that took out all three of the left edge defenders, and gave Tennant the simple task of finishing in the corner.
The two sides will meet again on Saturday 5th October.
Wales: Ethan Williams (Cynon Valley Cavaliers), Travis Tennant (Castleford Tigers), Oliver Ford (Salford Red Devils), Jake Nottingham (Warrington Wolves), Jacob Jones (Bridgend Blue Bulls), Junior Westwood (Warrington Wolves), Henry Parker (Salford Red Devils), Alfie Bowman (Castleford Tigers), Dafydd Morgan (unattached), Sam Roberts (Warrington Wolves), Kaden Johnson (Warrington Wolves), Sam Grice (Castleford Tigers), Kade Woodward (Torfaen Tigers). Subs: Charlie Stoddart (Bridgend Blue Bulls), Charlie Glover (Salford Red Devils), Lewis Jones (Bridgend Blue Bulls), Alex Green (Bridgend Blue Bulls), Logan Lockyer (Cynon Valley Cavaliers), Luke Ingram (Bridgend Blue Bulls).
Tries: Jacob Jones (2), Travis Tennant (2), Sam Roberts.
Goals: Westwood (3/6)
Ireland: James Farrar (Hull Kingston Rovers), Lewis Wing (Hull Kingston Rovers), Jake Parkes (Hull Kingston Rovers), Daniel Coop (Rochdale Mayfield), Matt Cahill (Sherwood Wolf Hunt), Sean Murray (Hindley), Tom Ashurst (Warrington Wolves), Ben Mulvaney (Dublin City Exiles), Reece Boyd (Hindley), Luke Fisher (Telford Raiders), Adam Quinn (Longhorns), Ross Mackey (Dublin City Exiles), Conlan Mawson (Bradford Bulls). Subs: Byron Carolan (Dublin City Exiles), Daniel Ridpath (Belfast Eagles), Thomas Forde (Galway Tribesmen), Leon Wallis (Dewsbury Celtic), Harry Murphy (Dublin City Exiles), Louis Curran (Belfast Eagles), Shane Clarke (Longhorns).
Tries: James Farrar, Matt Cahill, Ben Mulvany, Jake Parkes
Goals: Thomas Ashurst (3/4)
Referee: James Jones.
