The 27-18 triumph made it two wins from three for the young Welsh team in the inaugural U18 Six Nations Festival staged in Wales. Not only did Griffiths get to captain his country for the first time, but he also scored a try and picked up the man of the match award.
“We were all on a high after the win over Ireland and we were confident coming into the game against Italy. It was very pleasing to come away with another win,” said Griffiths, who played for Wales U20 in the Six Nations earlier in the year.
“It is always the same every year against the French and Italian sides – they have some monsters up front and we just had to front up against them. We found a way to work out the Italians in the end and I thought we were a bit unlucky against the French.
“It has been a tough 10 days and I’ve learned to be a better person on and off the field during the Festival. Captaining my country for the first time was a great experience and, hopefully, I can follow it on in the years to come.
“It was great to get a taste of what it’s like to be a professional rugby player for a week. The serious side is good, and the attention to detail is a bit of an eye opener, but you also need a bit of down time and to have a laugh.
“I played U18 last year and had a taste of the U20s this season. I’ve come down to get some game time and I hope to get involved in the U20 World Cup this summer.”
