WALES face a shoot out with New Zealand for a place in the World Rugby U20 Championship semi-finals after sneaking a victory against Georgia.

The Baby Blacks will be licking their wounds after suffering the same fate as Jason Strange’s young guns, stunned by Ireland at the Manchester City Academy Stadium,

The Irish should beat Georgia on Wednesday to leave Wales and the Kiwis fighting for the best runners-up spot and needing results elsewhere to go their way, but only after the Six Nations champions edged to a tense victory.

The Grand Slam winners made the perfect start when Newport Gwent Dragons tighthead Leon Brown crashed over from close range but hopes of a try-fest were soon dashed.

Georgia, beaten 55-0 by New Zealand on day one, relished the wet conditions on a day when rain fell for long periods in Manchester, their forwards enjoying dominance at front in an area of the game the nation is known for.

Scrum-half Gela Aprasidze missed his first kick at goal just after the half hour, but made amends within minutes to score Georgia’s first-ever points in the U20 Championship.

Aprasidze, given the nod in place of World Cup player Vasil Lobzhanidze, kicked a second penalty at the end of the first half to send last year’s U20 Trophy champions in just one point adrift at 7-6.

The score remained that way until fly-half Jarrod Evans kicked a penalty in the 54th-minute, but Wales still couldn’t shake off the Georgians who were relishing the battle up front and starting to create a few opportunities with ball in hand.

Once again they closed to within a point with Aprasidze’s third penalty with 13 minutes to go and the prospect of the sell-out crowd seeing a second upset – one arguably bigger than Ireland’s win given Georgia’s inexperience at this level – was increasing.

Replacement Daniel Jones, only called into the squad after starting winger Keelan Giles was given a ticket to join up with the senior squad in New Zealand, missed his first kick at goal and it nearly proved costly for Wales.

Fortunately for them, Aprasidze’s penalty with five minutes to go from the halfway dropped agonizingly short and they were able to send the clock into the red as Jones lined up another kick at goal, one he missed again.