Wales U20s coach Jason Strange has suggested England have a rare talent on their hands in Zach Mercer.
Strange watched his Wales youngsters lose their eight-match unbeaten run when they went down 37-21 to the junior world champions.
A packed Parc Eirias thought they were going to see a seventh successive win at the Colwyn Bay venue when Ben Jones knocked over a simple penalty to cut the gap to six points with eight minutes left to play. But then England’s man of the match Mercer made victory secure with a fourth try.
It was an extraordinary score from an exceptional player and Strange was the first person to congratulate the Bath No 8 on his performance. The victory made it successive bonus-point wins for England and moved them six points clear of defending champions Wales.
Strange said: “We knew we were going to be up against a good side and England have a very special talent in their No 8 Zach Mercer. He really was the difference between the two teams.
“He has that X-Factor and we learned a hell of a lot tonight in difficult circumstances playing against him and his side. We have got a lot of players to come back in and make us even more competitive.
“Our intensity dropped off after a great start and their physicality got them on top. Once they got some quick ball it was difficult for us to contain them.
“We wanted to isolate their wingers and that worked well at the start. But our kick-chase wasn’t as good in the second period of the first half.
“The players showed great character and bravery to get back to 27-21 and it was game on at that stage. That’s why we were so disappointed to concede that final try to Mercer.”
Wales skipper Will Jones, who sparked the second half revival with two great pieces of skill, said his players were ‘gutted’ to have lost.
“We started very well, but we let the intensity slip in the second 20 minutes of the first-half. Then we got back into the game and we had a bit of hope in the end,” said Jones.
“We fought hard all the way through and I can’t fault the boys’ effort but, in the end, England were the better outfit.
They showed us that you can’t afford just to have a 20 minute burst – the intensity has to be there for the full 80 minutes.”
