Here are the latest rugby headlines on Monday, July 10.
Wales new boy makes good impression
Wales World Cup squad call-up Taine Plumtree has made a good impression since linking up with Wales for the Switzerland trip.
Plumtree, 23, was born in Swansea when his dad John coached there and has turned out for New Zealand U20s, but has signed for the Scarlets over the summer with Warren Gatland quickly opting to bring him into camp to see what he can do.
Wales strength and conditioning guru Huw Bennett said: "The boys have welcomed him into the group and settled in well. He's come over and signed for the Scarlets and this has given us a chance to have a look at him. He has applied himself as you would imagine anyone given this opportunity would do.
"He's making the most of it. I've been impressed by all the players and I couldn't have asked more from them.”
Elias reveals how tough it is
Wales' Ryan Elias says the hard graft out in Switzerland gave him "nightmares for four years" when he attended the 2019 camp and says the 2023 edition has been just as tough.
The trip to the Swizz Alps has seen the Wales hierarchy put the squad through their paces at altitude, with head of physical performance Huw Bennett pushing players to their limit physically and mentally.
Hooker Elias says the camp ahead of the 2019 World Cup left a lasting impression but with the ultimate prize on the line, the exertions are worth it.
"I don't think you ever get used to it," Elias said.
"I have done it before and had nightmares for four years remembering how hard it was. On the way out here this time I was trying to convince myself maybe I bigged it up too much in my head and made it sound worse than it was.
"But now I am here again it definitely was this hard. It is hard graft but the carrot at the end is the World Cup. That is why you put yourself through it."
Wales U20s boss proud of bounceback
Wales U20s head coach Mark Jones is immensely proud of the way his young side executed their gameplan to beat Georgia 40-21 at the World Rugby U20 Championship on Sunday.
It means Wales will now prepare to face Australia for fifth place on Friday, July 14, after they beat New Zealand 46-35.
"It was much more like it," Jones told S4C of the Welsh win.
"We had lots of possession and territory in that second quarter and I was hoping we were going to be able to tighten it up because we made a lot of mistakes in the last game.
"I've got to say, we referenced the New Zealand game at half-time around how we were in control of that game but we didn't nail the first 15 minutes after the half, and I thought the way that [fly-half] Dan [Edwards] and the half-backs managed the wind in the second half early on, we knew they were going to come out with a really aggressive style but we kept them right in their own 22 and we knew they probably weren't going to score from their own half. Credit to the boys, they executed really, really well and I'm just so pleased by the effort the boys have put in.
"We've worked a lot on our defence. It hasn't shown up as much as we would have liked in this tournament. We've changed the system a little bit and we've been very tight in previous games and today we had a great collision, we had width in our defence, it was very difficult for the Georgian team to get around us like other teams have, so credit to all the boys there, Craig, all the coaching staff around that, today was the result of a lot of hard work over a number of weeks. Fair play, they're a quality outfit, we're sharing the same hotel as them, we respect them, they're big men."
Ireland set up U20s World Cup final with France
Ireland U20s will face defending champions France to be named the world's best U20s rugby team.
The Irish beat South Africa 31-12 on Sunday to reach the final, while France overcame England 52-31 to reach the finale.
It is a mirror of the senior men's World Rugby rankings, with Ireland enjoying top spot and Les Bleus close behind in second ahead of this autumn's Rugby World Cup in France.
The Irish squad have done this amid tragedy following the death of squad member Jack Oliver’s father Greig last week.
Jack has now returned home but coach Richie Murphy says they'll be fighting for him in the final.
“It’s obviously been a difficult couple of weeks, and we’ve had plenty of stuff going on,” said Murphy. “But Greig’s passing was particularly difficult and Jack was in the group with us up until Wednesday evening when he left, so it was a difficult time for the boys.
“But Jack sent his support as did Fiona, Greig’s wife, and they are at home, and we are really delighted to be able to bring him back something because no matter what happens now we will be going back with something for Jack.”
