One stat stood out above all others after Wales lowered New Zealand’s colours at under-20 level in Rosario earlier this week.
The team in red spent just 26 seconds in the Baby Blacks’ 22 throughout the 80 minutes.
That isn’t a misprint.
The weather was awful and Wales’ attacking game went into hibernation for long periods.
Gareth Williams’ team enjoyed just 33 percent of the possession and 26 percent of the territory, with New Zealand at one point looking in danger of attracting the attention of the Monopolies Commission people, so much ball were they winning.
But, led by Dewi Lake, the Welsh youngsters managed to get the job done.
It was a terrific effort that saw Lake and his team-mates put in 191 tackles and achieve no end of turnovers: indeed, the skipper estimated they had pilfered ball 11 times by the time play was suspended because of adverse weather after 28 minutes.
The hooker himself was responsible for a number of those steals, along with No.8 Jac Morgan.
Those two and openside Tommy Reffell have used the tournament to showcase their potential.
But Morgan has a major decision heading his way.
The 19-year-old Aberavon RFC and Scarlets academy player has commitments outside rugby, serving an apprenticeship with a Llansamlet-based company, Morganite Electrical Carbon Limited. He enjoys the work and is conscious that rugby is a here today, gone tomorrow profession: one injury can change everything.
So what’s a boy to do?
“It’s not something I’m worrying about right now because I don’t think I have to make a decision just yet,” says Morgan.
“Quite possibly I will have to make the call.
“But we are not at that point.
“I like my work outside the game, designing parts, dealing with customers and orders, and spending time drawing packages on a computer.
“But I’m also enjoying my rugby.
“It’s a difficult one.
“I know a playing career happens at only one point in your life, but one injury could end it all.
“It would be nice to have something to fall back on, which I have with the apprenticeship.
“I think I have another year on my apprenticeship.”
Is there a possibility of Morgan qualifying in his field of mechanical engineering and then putting that side of his career on hold to focus on rugby? “We’ll just have to see what happens,” he says.
Whatever he decides, he wears the look of a serious player.
Man of the match for Wales Under-20s against England in the 2019 Six Nations after repeatedly turning over opposition ball, he had forced his way onto the radar last summer with a series of strong displays that saw him named forward of the tournament in the Aon International Series in South Africa.
He has excelled at openside flanker for Aberavon but can play blindside and No.8, too.
His coach at the Wizards, Jason Hyatt, says of him: "If he develops fully, there is every chance he'll go all the way.
"You see these youngsters coming through and the top-end ones stand out a mile.
“Jac is one of those.”
Morgan and Reffell have shared 12 turnovers between them in the World Rugby U20 Championship, while Reffell tops the tackle chart with 66, six more than Morgan, who is joint-second in that particular table.
The young Wizard has been operating in the middle of the back row to accommodate Reffell and it says much that he has been able to adapt. There have been few opportunities for him to take play forward, but his work over the ball and appetite for defence have been outstanding.
“I’m probably a seven, but I’m happy to play anywhere in the back row,” he says.
“Things are going well for the team. As long as that’s the case, and I’m doing my job for the side, I’m happy.
“Tommy played in the tournament last year, so it’s good for me to play alongside such an experienced player.
“And Dewi Lake’s been a great captain and a great leader and all of us look up to him.
“He’s been brilliant at the breakdown, winning a lot of turnovers, and is a big influence on the team.”
Despite playing for Aberavon, a club in the Ospreys region, Morgan is part of the Scarlets set-up. “When I played junior rugby I figured in the Ospreys leagues for Cwmtwrch,” he says.
“But I went to Amman Valley Comprehensive School, which is a Carmarthenshire School, so my rugby was then played through the Scarlets region.
“Once my time in school had finished Aberavon came in and asked if I’d be interested in playing for them.
“I went down, had a couple of games, enjoyed it and so signed up.
“Then, after the Wales Under-18 tour of South Africa last year, I signed for the Scarlets academy. I hadn’t been part of it before. I’d just played for their under-18s as a schoolboy.”
He is full of praise for Aberavon and says the Welsh Premiership has served him well: “Aberavon have been brilliant.
“People like Jason Hyatt, our head coach, and Andrew Vaughan John, the club chairman, have been great. Jason wants the best out of his players.
“The whole club has been supportive and helped with my rugby.
“Much the same can be said for the Welsh Premiership.
“Playing against experienced players has aided my development. A lot of them have played a high level of rugby in the past, so facing those types of guys has been a big benefit.
“I’m also learning from experienced players in Aberavon.”
England are next up for the Welsh youngsters in Argentina on Saturday.
“It would be great to have a victory,” says Morgan.
“It would mean we finished fifth in the competition and that would be a good effort.
“It’s a big target.”
Whatever happens, some Wales players will be returning with their reputations enhanced, and Morgan is one of them.
If he opts to commit full-time to rugby, he’s a player we’ll be hearing a lot more of in the seasons ahead.
