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Wales Online
Sport
Katie Sands

New Wales rugby star and 'incredible athlete' blows everyone away on world stage

If you're looking to impress on the world stage, then showcasing your blistering power and acceleration to set up two tries within minutes of each other isn't a bad way to go about it.

That's exactly what Wales U20s No. 8 Morgan Morse did in the 41-19 win over Japan at the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa.

It is made all the more impressive given Morse is actually aged 18 and has two years left in the set-up. He is already in double figures for Wales U20s caps, having been drafted in to the 2022 U20s Six Nations squad aged 17 to make his first start for the team a year ago. Meanwhile, the impressive back-rower only finished his A-levels this month before heading to the Rainbow Nation.

Playing with players older than him is nothing new, with his impact off the bench during a Dewar Shield match at the age of 14 - he was playing a year up - leaving highly-respected Ospreys pathway manager Gareth Walters asking "who the hell is that kid?" After his latest exploits, some are now tipping him to be party of Warren Gatland's senior squad in the next few years.

In awful weather conditions, Wales were made to work for their first win of the tournament on Thursday, following a thrilling opener but ultimate defeat against New Zealand at the weekend. Japan were leading 19-15 when captain Yoshiki Omachi was sent off early in the second half for a dangerous tackle, and Wales were still trailing with 15 minutes remaining.

But the dam eventually burst and Wales scored a late flurry of four tries, including three in the final five minutes for fly-half Dan Edwards and centres Bryn Bradley and Louie Hennessey, with the latter two both being made by Morse, who broke away in the final moments to race up-field and ensure Wales' struggles were not reflected in the final scoreline.

Former Wales scrum-half Richie Rees, commentating for S4C, said of Morse's offload for Bradley's try at 77 minutes: "Brilliant, brilliant work from Morse. Not only does he have the acceleration, the athletic ability to cover 20-25 metres... the effort from Bradley, the effort from Morse..."

Two minutes later, Morse produced another perfectly-timed run to set up Hennessey's score, with Rees adding: "That's what your best players do. They have massive, massive impacts on games in single moments, and we've seen that from Morse in the last two plays where, again, the support and work ethic is there. Morgan Morse, take a bow."

The Ospreys, for whom Morse is hoping to enjoy a breakthrough season next term, tweeted "Morgan Morse doing what he does best", while Wales U20s head coach Mark Jones was full of praise for the 18-year-old post-match.

"We had to absorb a lot of pressure, had to manage the game well until we could get to a situation where we had a number advantage and clearly the boys exploited that pretty well," he told S4C. "Morgan, off the back of tired bodies, he's an incredible athlete and when the team puts him in that type of space, he's capable of those things."

Talented, he is, and ambitious, too, with the Dulais Valley Youth product previously telling the Welsh Rugby Union’s website: "I want to go to the top of the game. I want to be a professional player and my dream has always been to play for the Lions."

He is hoping his all-consuming effort will help him get there. "I'd probably say my ball carrying," he has said of his biggest strength. "I like to get my hands on the ball as much as I can and make an impact on the carry to get my team on the front-foot. Also, I'd say my work-rate. I make sure I give everything in every game. I don't take any opportunity for granted. Playing at this level with my friends, I never want it to end. So I make sure I put everything into each game."

Morse's dedication and work ethic was on display, too, in his post-match TV interview following his exploits against Japan. "We started slow but by the end there we showed what we could do, but we have to be better next time," he said.

The journey is never ending, and this Ospreys youngster is well aware of that already.

Wales U20s next face France on Tuesday, July 4 (3.30pm UK kick-off time).

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