Wales Under 20 head coach Danny Wilson has made just two changes to the side that beat Samoa 74-3 on Tuesday for the IRB Junior World Championship semi-final clash with New Zealand today (KO 4.00pm).
Dragons centre Jack Dixon returns to partner Cory Allen, while Ellis Jenkins returns to the openside. The Ospreys are represented in the form of Ross Jones, who starts once again at full back, along with the departing Tom Prydie, who will be playing for Newport Gwent Dragons next season. Eli Walker continues on the left wing, with Matthew Morgan and Tom Habberfield combining again at half back.
With Jenkins coming into the back row, he joins Osprey Dan Baker and Luke Hamilton, with further Ospreys representation coming in the form of outside half Sam Davies, who takes his place on the bench for the crunch encounter.
Wales were the first side to beat New Zealand in the five years of the Junior World Championship when they overcame them 9-6 in the Pool stage. That win, coupled with the Samoa victory and the 44-18 win over Fiji in the opening game, meant Wales went into the last four as No 1 seeds, and must now do it all again against the title holders.
Wilson said: “Confidence is high at the moment. We don’t just think we can beat New Zealand, we have already done it once, so we know we are capable of it.
“We know New Zealand will be a wounded animal following our first encounter. They are going to want to put things right. The conditions will be completely different and New Zealand will be happy about that, but we too are comfortable with playing on a dry track and Byron Hayward’s work with the backs certainly showed with some of our tries against Samoa.
“Our defence will have to be as good as it was in the first game, we are prepared to make 100 plus tackles again. We have to once again control the set-piece, and when we have some ball we will have to play some rugby.
“Being the first team in the history of this tournament to beat New Zealand is something that can’t be taken away from this group of players, but we are determined to go out and do it again.”
IRB Junior World Championship semi-final - Wales team v New Zealand
Sunday 17 June, 4.00pm UK time (Live on Sky Sports 2), Newlands Stadium
Ross Jones (Ospreys); Tom Prydie (Dragons), Cory Allen (Blues), Jack Dixon (Dragons) Eli Walker (Ospreys); Matthew Morgan (Ospreys), Tom Habberfield (Ospreys); Rob Evans (Scarlets), Kirby Myhill (capt, Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Rhodri Hughes (Ospreys), Matthew Screech (Blues), Luke Hamilton (Blues), Ellis Jenkins (Blues), Dan Baker (Ospreys)
Replacements: Darran Harris (Blues), Gareth Thomas (Carmarthen Quins), WillGriff John (Blues), Ieuan Jones (Drgaons), Daniel Thomas (Scarlets), Jonathan Evans (Dragons), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Thomas Pascoe (Blues)