Wales U20 edge USA

Defensive pressure and a penalty in the scrum led to the USA's first try. They took the attacking lineout, Wales collapsed the ensuing maul, and from a quick tap from scrumhalf Kate Muldoon fed prop Lauren Dipasquale, who crashed over. Flyhalf Alissa Eisenhart slotted the extras. Wales responded with lock Milly Summer picking up and scoring from short range. Summer and her second row partner, Alaw Pyrs, were key runners for Wales. Fullback Nel Metcalfe hit the extras to equalize.

It was strong running from Pyrs that got Wales on the front foot and finally prop Maisie Davis got a flat pass and scored on a one-meter run. Wales now led 12-7. penalty trouble put the USA back in their half and at 23 minutes Wales was once again knocking on the door. This time Wales went wide and wing Hannah Lane was in at the corner and the hosts led 17-7.

The U20 Eagles made a couple of changes in the pack at only 26 minutes into the game. One of those was Ava Reuter, who came in at No. 8 and in her first touch scored on an eightman pick. That fired up the USA and they looked to burn Wales out wide with a kick-and-chase. But in the end it was power. It was the forwards that worked it down to the line before the USA sent it wide for University of New Haven wing Sereana Volaono to touch down in the corner.

And then, just before halftime Reuter picked up, and fed center Avery Morgan. Wales were penalized, and prop Reece Woods tapped and crashed over to tie the make the score 24-17.

In the second half Wales once again punished USA penalties. Off a scrum deep in the USA 22, with the USA put-in, the Americans were penalized on a very gray-area collapse. They tapped quickly and Pyrs thundered over. Flanker Emma Haughey made the tackle but she needed some help and the USA forwards were too slow to get into position.

That tied it up 24-24 and after that penalties ... and some interesting calls ... came to the fore. Wales had a way of placing the ball that was pretty close to getting back on their feet while tackled, and that made it harder to steal possession for the USA. Key for the USA team was a sealing penalty that was poorly adjudicated. This happened with the game tied and the USA running out of their half at 50 minutes and 40 seconds. Let us at GRR know if you think that was a penalty. As it was Wales took the lineout on that penalty, popped off the back of the maul, and eventually scored.

(The referee gave Wales the rub of the green on a knock-on, but she also missed a clear tip tackle by the USA so things do even out.)

With the try from captain and No. 8 Jess Rogers Wales now led 31-24. The USA tried to answer by keeping the ball alive and playing faster. Ashley Cowdrey was in the middle of much of that. But after a high-tackle penalty and a surge to the line the USA was rightly pinged for sealing in the ruck and the chance was lost. Penalties once again hurt the USA, and Reuter was penalized and yellow carded for going off her feet. She attempted to make a poach after her hands had hit the ground, a penalty all the way. Repeated infringements made it a yellow, and Wales mauled it over with hooker Molly Wakely scoring it.  Metcalfe converted and it was 38-24 with 15 minutes to go.

Still shorthanded the USA finally finished off something in the second half. Volaono got the ball in some space. She beat two defenders on the outside, took off down the sideline, and then wrong-footed the last defender to score a brilliant try from 85 meters. That put the USA back in the game at 38-31. But Wales finished off the game nicely by camping out in the USA U20 22 and ran out the clock.