JWC: England punish Wales in Pool B with superb 1st half performance
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JWC: England punish Wales in Pool B with superb 1st half performance
England U20 coach Jon Callard was thrilled with a strong first half showing from his side which set them on their way to victory over close rivals Wales on Saturday.
Four tries for the reigning U20 champions ensured they took maximum points from a fixture that been billed as a chance for revenge after England’s defeat in the Six Nations.
Topping Pool A with one game to go against France, England are in a good position to defend their title having taken maximum points from their first two games.
Reflecting on the contest, Callard paid tribute to both the plays and staff while hinting that more hard work was to come.
“I thought we played very well in the first half, our game management was good, we played in the right areas and were clinical. In the second half, Wales came out strongly and caused us problems,” Callard said.
“We’ve achieved what we needed to and that was to win with a bonus point so credit to the lads and all the management staff who have put in a great stint this week to ensure that everyone was fit and ready. We'll work hard in the coming days and by Wednesday we'll be equally prepared to take on France.”
A slow start put Wales on the back foot from the start of Saturday’s clash and Williams’ frustration stemmed from his side missing their chances when they came along.
Having now lost to both England and France it’s unlikely that the young Dragons will make the knockout stages, with one game to go against the remaining Pool A side, Japan.
That final clash however is a chance for Williams and Wales to finish off the chances they missed to take something forward out of the tournament.
"We were also on the wrong side of a few crucial penalties but it's not good enough,” said Williams to the BBC.
"We know what we are capable of, we broke the English defence and played some good rugby at times, we had a good few chances to score but... we didn't finish them off.
"We just have to keep working hard, keep playing our game and hopefully we will finish off our chances next time if we can.”
Four tries for the reigning U20 champions ensured they took maximum points from a fixture that been billed as a chance for revenge after England’s defeat in the Six Nations.
Topping Pool A with one game to go against France, England are in a good position to defend their title having taken maximum points from their first two games.
Reflecting on the contest, Callard paid tribute to both the plays and staff while hinting that more hard work was to come.
“I thought we played very well in the first half, our game management was good, we played in the right areas and were clinical. In the second half, Wales came out strongly and caused us problems,” Callard said.
“We’ve achieved what we needed to and that was to win with a bonus point so credit to the lads and all the management staff who have put in a great stint this week to ensure that everyone was fit and ready. We'll work hard in the coming days and by Wednesday we'll be equally prepared to take on France.”
On the other side of the coin, Wales scrum-half Tom Williams was left to wonder what might have been after the side’s second defeat in the U20 World Championship to England.
A slow start put Wales on the back foot from the start of Saturday’s clash and Williams’ frustration stemmed from his side missing their chances when they came along.
Having now lost to both England and France it’s unlikely that the young Dragons will make the knockout stages, with one game to go against the remaining Pool A side, Japan.
That final clash however is a chance for Williams and Wales to finish off the chances they missed to take something forward out of the tournament.
"We were also on the wrong side of a few crucial penalties but it's not good enough,” said Williams to the BBC.
"We know what we are capable of, we broke the English defence and played some good rugby at times, we had a good few chances to score but... we didn't finish them off.
"We just have to keep working hard, keep playing our game and hopefully we will finish off our chances next time if we can.”
