“Every game presented a different challenge,” says the former World Cup Sevens winner. “We played against some quality opposition and the boys stepped up in terms of managing themselves in what was their first taste of two-day sevens at this level.”
Wales swept through the pool stage with victories against Russia (33-21), Portugal (19-12) and Israel (81-0), but Pugh says the particularly one-sided nature of the latter result isn’t to be scoffed at. “For a team to score that many points in 14 minutes is a credit to how ruthless and precise we were,” he says. “It wasn’t a case of ‘one pass, score’. They worked hard to create those tries.”
A 26-7 quarter-final win against Romania set up a semi-final against eventual winners Ireland, in which Wales were unable to capitalise on a 12-point, losing 19-10. It was a similar story against England in the bronze play-off final, with Wales seeing their 10-point lead slip to a 24-12 defeat.
“We were right in the mix in those two games, but we just fell away to little changes in momentum, through no real fault of the boys,” explains Pugh. “They were excellent, and were it not for an ankle tap here or a pass there, we would have been in that final. I can’t say one person stood out, because they all stepped up and made themselves proud.
“We were definitely the best supported team out in Germany. The flags were flying and the fans were singing Sosban Fach. That level of support and backing from friends and family was incredible, and I think they appreciated the experience of getting to see their boys perform for their country.”
Pugh hopes the players’ performance in Heidelberg will allow them to return to their region or college with a renewed energy and confidence, having competed against – and, in several instances, overcome – far more experienced opposition. There is even scope for involvement in the senior sevens set-up at various points throughout the upcoming season.
“We’ll be keeping tabs on them going forward,” he says. “They might get involved in the senior programme, and a lot of them are still eligible for next year’s U18 programme. We’ll also be feeding back to the likes of [Wales U18 coach] Geraint Lewis about what we’ve learnt from the boys, and feeding back to the academies. Just seeing them in a new environment challenges them in a different way, and you get to learn a lot about players and learn what they’re about.”
