Australia and France advance to U20 Championship final

David Skippers

Australia’s nine-year wait for a second World Rugby U20 Championship final is over after they ended Argentina’s hopes of a first appearance in the title decider on home soil on Tuesday.

The Junior Wallabies, who were beaten 62-17 by New Zealand in the first final held in Argentina in 2010, played the entire second half with a man down after try-scorer Michael McDonald received a second yellow card trying to prevent a Los Pumitas’ try, but scored the only tries of the second half to triumph 34-13.

They will meet defending champions France in the final on Saturday after Louis Carbonel inspired Les Bleuets to a 20-7 defeat of South Africa, the 2012 champions who were bidding to reach their first final since 2014.

With all 12 teams now based in Rosario for the knockout stages, the weather played its part on semi-finals day with heavy rain for the opening matches with New Zealand, Wales, Scotland and Italy being forced off the field on safety grounds with lightning strikes in close proximity to the Racecourse Stadium and Club Old Resian.

Wales led for the majority of their fifth place play-off with New Zealand but had to endure a nervy finish as Fergus Burke had a kick to win the match only to see his effort drift wide of the uprights, Cai Evans’ penalty ensuring it was the Welsh celebrating an 8-7 victory instead.

They will face England in the fifth place play-off after Tom Willis’s try with the final play secured a 30-23 victory over Ireland after extra-time looked to be on the cards.

New Zealand’s defeat means the six-time champions will finish outside the top six for the first time in the 12-year history of the competition.

There was just as much drama in the ninth place semi-final between Fiji and Georgia, the Junior Lelos going through more than 20 phases with the clock in red before test-capped hooker Vano Karkadze found his way over the line to seal a 12-8 victory and condemn the Pacific Islanders to a final-day shootout with Scotland to avoid relegation to the World Rugby U20 Trophy in 2020.

Scotland had also staged a late rally in the day’s opening match at Old Club Resian, but despite scoring two late tries it was Italy who triumphed 26-19.

The final day of the World Rugby U20 Championship 2019 gets underway at 10:30 local time (GMT-3) with the 11th place play-off between Scotland and Fiji, followed by Georgia and Italy’s contest for ninth place and the seventh place play-off between New Zealand and Ireland.

Across the city at the Racecourse Stadium, the fifth place play-off between Wales and England opens proceedings at 10:30, followed by Argentina and South Africa’s battle for bronze and the title decider between Australia and France, which kicks off at 15:30 local time.

Final day’s fixtures

11th place play-off
Fiji v Scotland

9th place play-off
Georgia v Italy

7th place play-off
Ireland v New Zealand

5th place play-off
England v Wales

Bronze Final
Argentina v South Africa

Cup Final
Australia v France

With thanks to World Rugby

Photo credit: Official World Rugby website