Wales under-20s shock New Zealand

As Wales prepare to kick off against Australia in Brisbane this morning (GMT), they will have to produce quite a performance to outdo that of the junior side.

Wales under-20s yesterday beat the ‘Baby Blacks’ of New Zealand 9-6 in the group stages of the IRB Junior World Championships in South Africa – inflicting NZ’s first ever defeat in the tournament, which they are looking to win for a fifth consecutive time.

And the result came just a year after Wales were on the wrong side of a 92-0 hammering to New Zealand in last season’s tournament.

But Wales had to come back from a 6-3 half-time deficit, at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch, with two penalties from Dragons’ winger Tom Prydie – the second with just 15 minutes to go – as well as an earlier one from Ospreys’ outside half Matthew Morgan enough to secure a famous win.

Morgan’s opposite number Scott Eade kicked a pair of penalties for the favourites.

Wales have already beaten Fiji in the tournament, and a win over Samoa would see them win the group and confirm their place in the last four of the tournament.

Wales have only been in the last four on one previous occasion – during the inaugural tournament in 2008, which they hosted. The side finished fourth that year.

New Zealand have always dominated the tournament, beating England in the finals of the 2008, 2009 and 2011 tournaments (38-3, 44-28 and 33-22 respectively). In 2010 they beat Australia 62-17.