The World Rugby U20 Championship reaches its business end in Georgia this week, and the two semi-finals in Tbilisi have thrown together the tournament's heavyweights. New Zealand meet France on Monday evening, with defending champions South Africa facing England later the same night. The final follows on July 18 at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.
For New Zealand, the prize is a first age-grade world title since 2017. Standing in the way is a France side that has now reached seven consecutive semi-finals — the longest active streak of any nation — and one that lost last year's last-four meeting with the young All Blacks 34-26. New Zealand coach Kane Jury is under no illusions about the task.
"France are an outstanding side and have shown throughout the tournament why they're one of the favourites," Jury said.
The other semi renews one of the competition's fiercest rivalries. South Africa arrive undefeated, with nine straight wins and designs on back-to-back finals for the first time. England have beaten the Junior Boks in six previous semi-finals, but they carry a warning sign into this one: 105 points conceded through pool play, the most of any side left in the top-four bracket.
Below the title race, the fifth-place play-offs delivered the weekend's biggest upsets. Wales U20 stunned Australia U20 38-36 in a nine-try thriller, ending an Australian run of eight consecutive fifth-place semi-final wins. Wales survived a red card to Will Evans on 62 minutes, with Cummings crossing twice and Darwin-Lewis, Gwynne and a penalty try completing the haul. Australia scored five tries of their own but fell two points short.
The result stung a Wallabies age-grade side that had reshuffled specifically for the fixture. Coach Chris Whitaker moved star back Treyvon Pritchard to fullback and handed first tournament starts to Riley Whitfeld, TJ Talaileva and Charlie Bird, hoping fresh legs would spark a response to an earlier loss to France.
"We are determined to bounce back from the tough defeat last time out and are hopeful that some of the changes will give us a lift," Whitaker had said before kick-off. He had also flagged the danger. "Wales have been strong throughout the group stages, and we know we'll have to be at our best to come out winners."
Scotland U20 completed the upset double, seeing off Argentina 44-26 to book their place opposite Wales in the fifth-place final on July 17. It leaves the northern hemisphere's supposed development sides — Wales and Scotland — with silverware of a kind still to play for, while Australia and Argentina regroup.
The headline acts remain in the south, though. A New Zealand-France winner will start favourite for the trophy, but South Africa's unbeaten juniors have made a habit of ignoring the form guide. By the weekend, Georgia will have crowned the next generation's world champions.
