IMPOSING Dragons lock Ed Scragg and scrum-half Dafydd Buckland come into the Wales XV for today's World Rugby U20 Championship clash with champions France.

The Welsh youngsters started the tournament with an excellent, if nervy, 30-25 win against hosts Argentina in Rosario.

Head coach Gareth Williams makes five changes to his starting line-up to face Les Bleuets with Dragons flanker Lennon Greggains declared fit for a place on the bench after being forced off against the Pumitas after a blow to his right shoulder.

His place goes to Scarlets flanker Iestyn Rees while Scragg, a 6ft 7ins, 18st second rower from Bath, comes in for Morgan Jones in the second row.

Buckland starts because Harri Morgan, the Ospreys scrum-half who scored a superb try against Argentina, has been ill.

Dragons teammates hooker Will Griffiths, prop Tom Davine and wing Deon Smith joining Greggains on the bench, with wing Rio Dyer also dropping out of the XV.

Dragons centre Aneurin Owen suffered a blow to the head in the second minute of the tournament opener and will sit out today's clash and the Pool A finale against Fiji. Max Llewellyn starts at outside centre with Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler moving to 12.

Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw student Owen, 18, was able to walk off the field after receiving lengthy treatment after the nasty blow but has been able to sit his maths and history A-level exams.

"He is an excellent young player," said Williams. "First and foremost he has recovered quickly and is going through the protocols now with his head injury.

"But he has also been in a position where he has been able to complete his exams and that is probably more important than us losing him to be fair.

"He is going to go through the protocols and will be available at a later stage of the tournament. We're just really pleased it wasn't too serious and he has been able to complete his exams."

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The Welsh pack performed strongly against Argentina with Rees doing well alongside Leicester openside Tommy Reffell after the blow of losing the influential Greggains.

"We've been impressed with Iestyn," said Williams, "On the hour mark against Argentina I thought he was excellent and I was really pleased with his performance so he has earned his spot.

"The changes help us to keep boys fresh in what is a tough schedule of games. Ed Scragg has been putting his hand up in training and we're very fortunate with the pool of second rows that we have got, that it allows us that freshness."

Williams was pleased to see his side edge Argentina in the opening game of the tournament but is fully aware France pose a major threat.

Les Bleuets won the title on home soil last year and have won the last three Six Nations clashes with Wales, the latest February's 32-10 success in Vannes.

"Argentina were an excellent team and I know how good they are having lost to them last year in the World Cup," said Williams.

"The extra factor of playing them on home soil added another edge to it – they came out hard and I thought it was an excellent test match.

"Over the last 12 months France have been flagbearers from an Under-20 point of view. They were champions last year and they probably weren't as successful in the Six Nations as they hoped for but everyone was targeting them.

"But we know the quality they have got, they have a tough physical pack but they can also move the ball and have threats right across the park.

"We were really happy with the first 50 minutes against them out in Vannes in the Six Nations – we now want to keep the momentum going.

"We've got a lot of confidence from that first game against Argentina but we are realistic of the challenge ahead and there are no easy games in this competition and it certainly doesn't get any easier at this stage."

The other Pool A game takes place at the same time in Santa Fe with hosts Argentina aiming to keep alive their semi-final hopes against Fiji.

Wales U20: Ioan Davies (Cardiff Blues), Tomi Lewis (Scarlets), Max Llewellyn (Cardiff Blues), Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler (Ospreys), Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets), Cai Evans (Ospreys), Dafydd Buckland (Dragons); Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets), Dewi Lake (captain, Ospreys), Ben Warren (Cardiff Blues), Ed Scragg (Dragons), Jac Price (Scarlets), Iestyn Rees (Scarlets), Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), Jac Morgan (Aberavon/Scarlets)

Replacements: Will Griffiths (Dragons), Garin Lloyd (Ospreys), Rhys Davies (Ospreys), Tom Devine (Dragons), Nick English (Bristol Bears), Morgan Jones (Scarlets), Lennon Greggains (Dragons), Harri Morgan (Ospreys), Sam Costelow (Leicester Tigers), Deon Smith (Dragons), Rio Dyer (Dragons)