Try scorer Joe Westwood believes Wales Under-20s should be proud of the Six Nations Summer Series campaign after losing out in the final to South Africa.
Scotland, Georgia and Italy were all swept aside for Wales to book a place in the final against the undefeated Junior Boks.
The series has been in stark contrast to the Six Nations campaign earlier this year when the Under-20s finished in fifth place in the table.
And despite a 47-27 loss in the showpiece final, Westwood believe the squad can reflect on a positive experience and growth.
“It’s not the end to the tournament we all wanted, but we should be proud of ourselves and where we have come from since the Six Nations,” said Westwood, who grabbed a second half score.
“South Africa are a strong side and world giants, but we can take a lot of confidence from it, especially the second half where we scored four tries.
“It’s always nice to get a try and we were a bit braver with our decisions and we tried to do a bit more with the ball.
“We’ve grown as a group,” he added. “Since the Six Nations we’ve stepped up massively, especially the morale around the group and the way we take that into games.
“We’ve developed as a pack and that has given us a lot of confidence to take forward."
Westwood was a second half replacement for the final in Treviso and believes he has learnt a huge amount during his time in Italy.
He said: “It’s been a good journey for me personally. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last few weeks and it’s been a great experience.
“I’ve been on the bench because the two centres are very established, they are both players that have featured in the pro game. But I can take a lot from it, being around them in training and playing alongside Joe (Hawkins) and Mason (Grady) has been a real positive.
“I go again next year (with the Under-20s) and a few of the back line will be around again for next season at this level.
“Playing with the older boys, you take a lot from it, and we'll aim to become leaders next year in this group. We’re all looking forward to challenges we'll tackle over the next 12 months.”
Since the Six Nations we’ve stepped up massively, especially the morale around the group and the way we take that into games...
