Here, Neil and Andy give their views on that game and an exciting few weeks ahead...
Neil Back
"The game against Wales was part of their preparation for their match with France, so they had a large squad as they were trying to finalise their team. It was therefore obviously a tough task but, over three periods of 25 minutes, the lads did really well to be fair.
"I was pretty pleased with the performance considering they were a national U19 side and would all have been 18 or 19, whereas our academy squad was mainly 16 and 17-year-olds and a handful of 18-year-olds.
"As the academy now go into a three-and-a-half week athletic performance phase, the game has shown them that they need to develop physically in order to compete as they get older. That's why we put these blocks into their training, so they can dedicate 100 percent of their time on physical development. They'll have individual programmes which point them in the direction of where they need to be. If you're playing every week, then it's very hard to develop or even maintain physical growth. So for this period they won't be playing or focusing on rugby and they'll be able to devote their time soley to their own development."
Andy Key
"It was a really good opportunity for the players to put down a marker as to where they're currently at. They had the chance to test themselves against players of international standard and they didn't disappoint. We had a very young side in comparison but we competed very well.
2The actual score wasn't what we as coaches were really looking for. Instead, we were more concerned with individual performances. Again, they didn't let themselves down and many of them really stood up to be counted. Overall they did exceptionally well and if we had taken a few more of our chances, the scoreline would have been much closer.
"At the start of the match in particular, the atmosphere was pretty hostile - something which will have definitely helped their development. It was an excellent exercise for players and coaches alike and I'm sure everyone will have learnt from the experience. We now look forward to taking part in a similar match against England U-19 on December 13 at Oval Park.*
2The season so far has definitely been a success and I've been really pleased with the efforts of the players. It was our aim to play a number of high-pressured matches before this three-and-a-half week break and we've definitely done that. We now go into a phase where we can assess the players' limitations and help them to work on them individually. That way they have an even clearer idea of what they need to do to continue progressing."
*More information on that match with England will be posted on the Tigers website as soon as it become available.
