After qualifying for the semi-finals with five wins from six on Saturday, Wales lay in the path of the Lions, who have come through a fair amount of adversity in the last couple of days following the devastating loss of Assistant Coach Gary McMahon.
From early on, the Lions started to turn the screw and opened scoring when Harvey Oldroyd hit a gap superbly from a Toby Hughes pass. Kieran Welburn, making his first appearance in the tournament, goaled for an early 6-0 advantage but Wales responded well on the back of some excellent running by Gethin Thomas. Mason Phillips getting the try on the left that Billy Walkley goaled.
The parity didn't last long as inspired by prop Josh Leeson, England moved forward. From his midfield break and tip-on, Hughes skipped to the line from twenty metres and Welburn converted. There was no further score for nearly twenty minutes, but England built pressure and when Wales conceded a penalty, up stepped Welburn to add his third goal.
Next came England's try of the game as a blindside raid from Oldroyd and Andy Djuekessi went half the length of the field before captain Scott Parnaby juggled the inside pass and Jack Newbegin touched down by the posts. Welburn goaled for a 20-6 advantage, then right on the stroke of half-time, a foray from Wales won them a penalty and Walkley goaled to make it 20-8 at half-time.
The second half belonged almost totally to the Lions with three tries coming in the first fifteen minutes. A cut-out ball from Ryan Wood found Noah Lancelott to get things going before Harry Penny supported to go through to the line like a train.
A brilliant kick from Newbegin set the wheels in motion for the next score as Lancelott raced through and then offloaded to the supporting Welburn, who goaled the lot to open up a 38-8 score. Wales knew they were chasing the game but were powerless to stop a rapid brace from Mekhi Bridgeman and the Lions rounded off their emphatic win six minutes from time when Hughes stepped his way over for his second try and Welburn completed a 24-point haul with his tenth goal.
England now take on France in the final on Saturday after they dispatched Ukraine 62-7.
England
16 Ryan Wood
5 Andy Djuekessi
1 Harvey Oldroyd
4 Callum Murphy
2 Noah Lancelott
7 Connor Goldthorpe
6 Toby Hughes
19 Matty Parkes
9 Logan Holgate
10 Josh Leeson
11 Harry Penny
12 Kieran Welburn
13 Scott Parnaby
Subs
18 Dylan Turner
8 Rio McQuistan
3 Mekhi Bridgeman
14 Jack Newbegin
Tries: Oldroyd (5), Hughes (15, 74), Newbegin (35), Lancelott (45), Penny (52), Welburn (55), Bridgeman (65, 68). Goals: Welburn 10/10
Wales
1 Isaac Morgan
2 Dylan Morgan
3 Mason Phillips
15 Alex Banks
19 Robert Muirhead
6 Billy Walkley
7 Llewellyn Hawkes
8 Oscar Fisher
9 Finley Yates
10 Carter Barnes
11 Scott Pritchard
12 Gethin Thomas
14 Jake Lacey
Subs
13 Charlie Glover
16 Lewis Ingram
22 Dafydd Orr Morgan
24 Calum Jones
Try: Phillips (11). Goals: Walkley 2/2.
Referee: Eamonn Whelan (Ireland).
