The Junior Springboks successfully defended the World Rugby Junior World Championship title with a hard-fought 16-5 victory over France at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi, becoming the fourth team to go back-to-back in the tournament’s history. New Zealand finished third after beating England while Australia beat Argentina for seventh spot.
South Africa completed a successful defence of their World Rugby Junior World Championship title after a hard-fought 15-6 victory over France at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi on Saturday.
Thirteen years had separated South Africa’s first and second titles, but this success – and a 11th Junior World Championship victory in a row – was secured with a huge physical effort in a match which saw four tries disallowed, three of them for the Junior Springboks.
FRANCE 5-16 SOUTH AFRICA: Junior Springboks reign supreme again with title defence
South Africa’s bid to rewrite the history books reached a glorious crescendo after they edged out France in a tense final to become the first Junior Springboks side to win back-to-back Junior World Championship titles.
The Junior Springboks have now matched France’s three titles, but Cedric Laborde’s Les Bleuets deserve huge credit for a monumental effort which ultimately fell just short at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi in a final delayed 45 minutes by lightning in the area.
South Africa, who have now won 11 straight Junior World Championship matches, led only 6-0 at half-time courtesy of two penalties from fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed in what was largely an attritional affair with try-scoring opportunities at a premium and defences firmly on top.
Ahmed put South Africa ahead in the ninth minute and it said much for the desire and commitment of both teams in the damp conditions that the score remained at 3-0 until the fly-half’s second penalty on the stroke of half-time
Raphael Audebert scored France’s only try in the 46th minute after Les Bleuets pounded away on South Africa’s line, gaining their reward when Baptiste Tilloles’ delightful long pass sent flanker Audebert over in the right corner.
Luka Keletaona could not convert, but France went close to a second moments later before a TMO check confirmed that Baptiste Veschambre had not grounded the ball.
The Junior Springboks secured some breathing space when centre Markus Muller burst clear with 13 minutes to go and thought they had all but wrapped up the win when Cheswill Jooste went over, only to see his try ruled out by the TMO.
Ahmed also had a try disallowed for jumping over a defender on the way to line but it didn’t matter, the fly-half slotting a penalty to allow South Africa to enjoy the final minutes and then celebrate an emotional and hard-earned title success.
NEW ZEALAND 41-26 ENGLAND: McLeod’s crucial second-half double helps seal third place for New Zealand
New Zealand finished the Junior World Championship on a winning note, beating England for the sixth time in seven meetings in the third-place play-off at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi.
It was the first meeting between the sides since New Zealand blew England away in the 2017 final at the same venue, the 64-17 victory securing their sixth and last title in the prestigious age-grade tournament.
Second-row Finn McLeod’s crucial second-half double made certain of the victory for New Zealand, who outscored their opponents by seven tries to four.
Sam Winters charged under the posts to give England the lead, but New Zealand quickly levelled through Jake Frost’s close-range score before England centre Nick Lilley and McLeod were shown yellow cards.
Frost cleverly created the space to score his second, but England swiftly replied as George Marsh’s delightful offload sent Jimmy Staples over the line to make it 14-10 at half-time.
New Zealand debutant Jake Hutchings was driven over in the 45th minute before Staples and Siale Pahulu traded tries. A quick-fire double from McLeod gave New Zealand breathing space and Tyler Offiah’s late effort was mere consolation for England, who conceded again through Max Fale.
ARGENTINA 29-52 AUSTRALIA: Junior Wallabies edge entertaining encounter to seal seventh place
Australia hooker John Greenfell scored twice on his first start of the tournament to help the Junior Wallabies seal victory in the seventh-place play-off at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi on Friday.
His first-half double was the highlight of a dominant opening 40 minutes that saw Australia score five tries and establish a commanding 33-10 lead. From there they did not look back and, having shared three wins apiece in their previous six Junior World Championship meetings, Australia beat Los Pumitas for the fourth time.
Greenfell opened the scoring inside the second minute from Sam Blank’s short pass, but Los Pumitas hit back through free-scoring full-back Simon Pfister.
He scored his eighth try of the tournament after taking a superb pass from fly-half Federico Serpa Laporte, but Greenfell crashed over again from a lineout and Zach Fittler scored Australia’s third before Luca Cleverley and the impressive Tom Farr-Jones got in on the act before half-time.
Toby Brial, Farr-Jones and Kingbenjamin Swerling-Finaipepe added further tries for the Junior Wallabies with second-half scores from Bautista Salinas Mallea, Nicolás Cambiasso and Tomás Canedo for Argentina.
