Emanuel aims to kick on after third Junior Worlds campaign

Steffan Emanuel is ready for the big "career-defining" step with Cardiff after one last blast with Wales Under-20s on Friday.

The 20-year-old Cardiff centre is taking part in his third Junior World Championship and will hunt fifth place – Wales' best finish since being runners-up in 2013 – against Scotland in Tbilisi (17:30 BST).

Emanuel has been a leading figure in the campaign along with co-captain Deian Gwynne, starting the fixtures against Georgia, South Africa and Australia and scoring two tries as an early replacement versus Uruguay.

The centre has reaped the rewards of international age-grade rugby, but will now make the step into the senior game.

He has already had a taste of it with Cardiff – he made his debut against Lyon in December 2024 and featured six times for the United Rugby Championship quarter-finalists last season – but it will feel different when he reports back in at the Arms Park.

"It's a big year to come out of the under-20s into the next block, that first year is almost career-defining," said Emanuel, who scored at Ulster in the URC.

"It's a big jump, but something that I am looking forward to and hopefully I can kick on.

"I've been fortunate enough to play some games for Cardiff and now I'll look to get a few more minutes under my belt."

Emanuel is joined in the Wales Under-20s midfield by club-mate Osian Darwin-Lewis, with Blue and Blacks Tom Bowen and Rhys Cummings on the wings.

The promising prospects will add to the depth of Corniel van Zyl's squad next season when trying to take the jerseys off players who have helped them develop.

"As an inside centre I was fortunate to have Ben Thomas and Rory Jennings to learn from and then Callum Sheedy and Ioan Lloyd inside, plus players like Harry Millard outside," said Emanuel.

"I am surrounded by all these top players and you try to learn as much as you possibly can from them."

It is not just current team-mates that are passing on top tips – club stalwart and former Samoa centre Rey Lee-Lo moved onto the management team last summer.

Emanuel said: "To have someone like Rey still around the building is fantastic and I have loved picking his brains, which he probably hates me for!

"He is someone that I can talk to quite easily if I have any questions or doubts; he is such a top bloke and is massive for the development of us young boys."

Emanuel has featured in every Wales Under-20s fixture this season and lines up in midfield against the Scots.

Richard Whiffin's side beat Scotland 31-21 at Cardiff Arms Park in the U20 Six Nations and triumphed 53-40 when they travelled to Meggetland for a pre-tournament friendly.

The Scots have enjoyed an impressive tournament when beating Italy, Japan and most recently Argentina with a solitary defeat by New Zealand, when they scored four tries in a 10-point defeat.

Wales make two changes with Cardiff's Tom Cottle coming in at blind-side - a change that sees the influential Gwynne switch to number eight - while Bristol's George Leyland starts at loose-head prop.

Lock Luke Evans, who was sent off for a 20-minute red card high tackle against Australia, has not been included.

Wales Under-20s v Scotland: Lewis Edwards (Ospreys); Rhys Cummings (Cardiff), Osian Darwin-Lewis (Cardiff), Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff), Tom Bowen (Cardiff); Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (Scarlets), Sion Davies (Cardiff); George Leyland (Bristol), Tom Howe (Cardiff), Jac Pritchard (Scarlets), Will Evans (Scarlets), Osian Williams (Bristol), Tom Cottle (Cardiff), Caio James (Gloucester), Deian Gwynne (Gloucester, capt).

Replacements: Oscar Thomas (Bath), Hudson Nevin (Scarlets), Yestyn Cook (Scarlets), Alex Ridgway (Bath), Sam Morgan (Ospreys), Cai Gealy (Bristol), Lloyd Lucas (Cardiff), Bailey Cutts (Bath).