There should be some interesting touch-line chat at the ZipWorld Stadium, Colwyn Bay, tonight ahead of the Under 20 Six Nations game between Wales and England (KO 19.05, live on S4C).
There will be a host of famous fathers of aspiring young sons at the game and three players who figured in Wales’ epic, and unexpected, 10-9 win over England in Cardiff in 1993 are set to meet up to watch their sons carry on the battle 26 years on.
Heading the cast will be the Wales captain from that famous day, try-scorer Ieuan Evans, and he will have his pack leader Gareth Llewellyn with him. From the England camp will be replacement wing Phil de Glanville.
Evans’ son, Ospreys outside half Cai Evans, is in his second season in the Wales U20 side, as is Llewellyn’s son, Cardiff Blues centre Max. De Glanville’s boy, Tom, is in the centre for England.
The junior Evans and De Glanville have already clashed at Under 18 level and there will be another son of an international father in the England back line in Northampton Saints wing Ollie Sleightholme. His dad, Jon, won twice against Wales in a 12 cap career.
Sleightholme will have good cause to remember Evans from his playing days as it was the arrival of the Welsh wing wizard at Bath that led to Sleightholme moving on to Northampton Saints.
But the famous family links don’t stop there. Wales lock Teddy Williams is the son of former Cardiff and Bridgend back row international Owain, and nephew of Bridgend’s legendary Wales and British & Irish Lion No 8 Gareth, while there are more famous names among the English replacements.
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Manu Vunipola will be hoping to inspire his ‘Uncle Billy’ the day before he runs out for England against Wales at Principality Stadium. The Saracens outside half is the son of former Tongan international Elisi Vunipola, who spent three seasons at Caerphilly.
Another replacement with international connections is Samson Ma’asi, whose father, Viliami, played for Tonga and also had a spell at London Welsh. Sam Maunder is the brother of Exeter Chiefs international scrum half, Jack.
Another Exeter Chiefs star in the making, No 8 Rus Tuima, also has a lot to live up to. Born in Fiji, his older sister, Lagi, has already played for the senior England women’s team, his uncle, Akapusi Qera, has captained Fiji and another relative, Bath wing Joe Cokanasiga, is on the bench for England in Cardiff this weekend.
England opened their Six Nations campaign with defeat in Ireland, before victory against France at Exeter’s Sandy Park. Wales were beaten in France in their opening game, but then powered to an impressive victory in Italy.
Wales U20: Ioan Davies (Cardiff Blues); Tomi Lewis (Scarlets), Max Llewellyn (Cardiff Blues), Aneurin Owen (Dragons), Dewi Cross (Ospreys); Cai Evans (Ospreys), Dafydd Buckland (Dragons); Rhys Davies (Ospreys), Dewi Lake (Ospreys, captain), Ben Warren (Cardiff Blues), Ed Scragg (Dragons), Teddy Williams (Cardiff Blues), Lennon Greggains (Dragons), Jac Morgan (Aberavon / Scarlets), Iestyn Rees (Scarlets)
Reps: Will Griffiths (Dragons), Tom Devine (Dragons), Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets), Max Ayling (Dragons), Ellis Thomas (Llanelli), Dan Babos (Dragons), Sam Costello (Leicester), Deon Smith (Dragons)
England U20: Josh Hodge (Newcastle Falcons); Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints), Connor Doherty (Sale Sharks), Tom de Glanville (Bath Rugby), Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish); Kieran Wilkinson (Sale Sharks), Ollie Fox (Yorkshire Carnegie); Olly Adkins (Gloucester Rugby), Nic Dolly (Sale Sharks), Alfie Petch (Exeter Chiefs), Joel Kpoku (Saracens), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Richard Capstick (Exeter Chiefs), Aaron Hinkley (Gloucester), Tom Willis (Wasps)
Reps: Samson Ma’asi (Northampton Saints), Kai Owen (Worcester Warriors), Jack Bartlett (Gloucester), James Scott (Worcester Warriors), Rus Tuima (Exeter Chiefs), Sam Maunder (Exeter Chiefs), Manu Vunipola (Saracens), Jack Reeves (Gloucester)
Tickets for Wales U20s’ home games against England and Ireland at Parc Eirias in Colwyn Bay are priced from £10 for adults and £5 for U16.
Visit www.wru.wales/tickets or www.venuecymru.co.uk for more information.