13-man Wales win dramatic U20s World Cup opener

Junior World Championship: Pool A

Georgia (12) 24

Tries: Shioshvili 2, Razmadze, Penalty Cons: Khalvashi

Wales (15) 25

Tries: C James, Cummings, Leggatt-Jones Cons: Leggatt-Jones 2 Pens: Leggatt-Jones 2

Thirteen-man Wales held out a last-gasp drive to claim a dramatic victory over hosts Georgia in their opening match of the Junior World Championship.

Wales led 25-17 with just five minutes remaining in Tbilisi through Caio James, Rhys Cummings and 15 points from fly-half Carwen Leggatt-Jones.

But a missed opportunity, two yellow cards and a late penalty-try set up a barnstorming finish as Georgia pressed for a winner.

They looked to have found it when replacement back row Irakli Kolbaia carried a hosts of red jerseys with him as he rumbled over the line from ten metres out only for referee George Selwood to eventually rule he had been held up over the line.

It was a remarkable result given Wales had seen wing Tom Bowen sent off for a second yellow card just moments after replacement prop Yestyn Cook was sin-binned in conceding the late penalty try.

Wales could and should have been out of sight but hooker Tom Howe was also held up over the line when his side were 25-17 ahead.

But Richard Whiffin's side at least showed determination - if not discipline - to hold out for a victory ahead of pool games against Uruguay and South Africa.

James gave Wales the perfect start to the championship when he opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute.

The Gloucester flanker charged from close range over to stun a partisan home crowd inside the Avcjala Stadium with an early try that was converted by Scarlets fly-half Leggatt-Jones.

Cardiff wing Cummings then skipped over with an impressive finish down the left to extend Wales' lead in the 16th minute.

Powerful number eight Mikheil Shioshvili was highlighted as one of the tournament's brightest prospects, not least after playing in a key role in Georgia's 23-21 victory over New Zealand ahead of this tournament.

And so it proved when the Toulon back-row barged over from a driving line-out on 20 minutes and then bulldozed over just before half-time to cut the Welsh to 15-12 at the break.

Bowen was yellow-carded for a high tackle in the opening minutes of the second half and the hosts hit the front for the first time.

They kicked to the corner for tight-head prop Gabriel Razmadze to drive over but Wales responded despite being down to 14 men.

Full-back Lewis Edwards had a try chalked off after losing control of the ball when going over the line but Leggatt-Jones made no mistake in the 52nd minute, darting over after centre Steffan Emmanuel had gone close.

The fly-half converted and then added a penalty to make it 25-17 in the final quarter.

Wales: L Edwards; R Cummings, O Darwin-Lewis, S Emanuel (co-capt), T Bowen; C Leggatt-Jones, S Davies; G Tuckley, T Howe, J Pritchard, W Evans, T Cottle, D Gwynne (co-capt), C James, E Minto.

Replacements: O Thomas, D James, Y Cook, O Williams, S Morgan, C Gealy, L Lucas, D Scott.