Charlie Ewel’s side contained four of last year’s World Cup winning team and arrived with a formidable record at this level. In 70 matches played since the Under 20 age group was created, England have won 56 and lost just 14, picking up four Six Nations titles (2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013) and two Junior World Championship titles (2013, 2014).
No fewer than 22 players have gone on to win senior honours, including the three players who scored all the English points at the Millennium Stadium on Friday night, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph and George Ford.
Thornton’s side couldn’t have faced a tougher task to open their Six Nations campaign, but after the disappointment of seeing Warren Gatland’s senior Welsh side outmuscled in Cardiff his team met fire with fire as they stopped a massive English pack from bullying them and dictating tactics ain Colwyn Bay.
An emotional Wales Under 20 team manager, former Wales Grand Slam winners and British & Irish Lions centre Mark Taylor, said: “It was a huge achievement by the boys. The way we stuck to the task and never stopped matching their physicality was immense. They stood up to the challenge.”
Backed by a packed crowd who roared them on from start to finish, the young Welsh team scored a try in each half to cut England down to size in a titanic battle that went down to the wire.
To their credit, England were still in with a shout right up until the final line-out five metres from the Welsh line and threw everything they had at Wales. But their discipline let them down and they picked up three yellow cards to Wakes’ one.
At one stage in the second half they were reduced to 13 men and that was when Wales struck their killer blow.
There was nothing between the two sides in an enterprising first-half. Dan Jones landed two penalties for the home side, but the world champions hit back with tries from No 8 James Chisholm off the back of a seven man scrum and centre Joe Marchant.
Rory Jenings converted the first try, but Wales were back to within a point just before the break when a brilliantly worked riving line-out paved the way for livewire hooker Liam Belcher to finish off some great work by Tom Philips and cross for a try.
A point behind at half-time, Wales got off to the prefect start in the second half when Jones kicked them back in front with his third penalty. Then came the yellow cards for lock Kieran Treadwell and prop Paul Hill.
Wales kicked to the corner and there was simply no stopping Phillips as he was driven over the line for another superb try. Jones kept his cool to add the touchline conversion and England needed two scores to win with 24 minutes to go.
As they got back to full strength, and with replacement scrum half James Mitchell making a major impact, England went all out on the offensive and stretched the thin red line of defensive jerseys to the limit. But while Jennings was able to kick a penalty to bring them back to within a converted try of victory, they couldn’t find a way through for a third try.
The two teams meet again in the Junior World Championships in Italy this summer when England go in search of a hat-trick of titles. On this evidence, and with some key players to return, Wales won’t be far behind them.
Scorers: Wales U20: Tries: L Belcher, T Phillips; Con: D Jones; Pens: D Jones 3. England U20: Tries: J Chisholm, J Marchant; Con: R Jennings; Pen: R Jennings.
Wales Under 20: Dafydd Howells (Ospreys); Joshua Adams (Scarlets), Barney Nightingale (Dragons), Garyn Smith (Blues), Rhys Williams (Leicester Tigers); Dan Jones (Scarlets), Tom Williams (Blues); Luke Garrett (Dragons), Liam Belcher (Blues), Dillon Lewis (Blues), Joe Davies (Dragons), Rory Thornton (Ospreys, captain), Tom Phillips (Scarlets), Harrison Keddie (Dragons), Ollie Griffiths (Dragons)
Replacements: Ryan Elias (Scarlets) for Belcher 61; Keagan Bale (Dragons) for Garrett 61; Adam Beard (Ospreys) for Davies 61; Owen Watkin (Ospreys) for Nightingale 63; Jordan Viggers (Blues) for Phillips 74; James Whittingham (Blues) for Williams 74
Yellow Card: G Smith 76
England Under 20: Piers O’Conor (Wasps), George Perkins (Saracens), Joe Marchant (Harlequins), Max Clark (Bath Rugby), Howard Packman (Northampton Saints); Rory Jennings (Bath Rugby), Stuart Townsend (Exeter Chiefs); Ellis Genge (Bristol Rugby), Jack Walker (Yorkshire Carnegie), Paul Hill (Yorkshire Carnegie), Kieran Treadwell (Harlequins), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, captain), Charlie Beckett (Leicester Tigers), Will Owen (Leicester Tigers), James Chisholm (Harlequins)
Replacements: Ciaran Parker (Sale Sharks) for Perkins 58-66, for Hill 66; Joe Batley (Gloucester Rugby) for Beckett 54; Josh Bainbridge (Yorkshire Carnegie) for Owen 56; James Mitchell (Sale Sharks) for Townsend 63
Yellow Cards: C Bartlett 5; K Treadwell 50; P Hill 56
