Preview: World Rugby U20 Championship 2017
Your quick guide to the 12 teams assembled in Georgia hoping to become World Rugby U20 Championship 2017 winners.
Pool A: England, Australia, Wales, Samoa
Pool B: Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Italy
Pool C: Argentina, South Africa, France, Georgia
You can find our ten U20 Championship Players to Watch right here.
Pool A
England
Seeding for 2017: 1
Best finish: Champions (2013, 2014, 2016)
Worst finish: Seventh (2012)
U20 Championship match record: Played 45 / Won 35 / Lost 10
U20 Championship points/tries scored: 1,505 / 186
Coach: Ian Vass
Captain: Zach Mercer
Squad: Ralph Adams-Hale (Saracens), Sam Aspland-Robinson (Harlequins), Josh Bayliss (Bath), Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons), Theo Brophy Clews (London Irish), Will Butler (Worcester Warriors), Josh Caulfield (Exeter Chiefs), Justin Clegg (Worcester Warriors), Ali Crossdale (Saracens), Max Davies (Newcastle Falcons), Ollie Dawe (Bristol), Ben Earl (Saracens), Gabriel Ibitoye (Harlequins), Ciaran Knight (Gloucester), Dino Lamb (Harlequins), Max Malins (Saracens), Zach Mercer (Bath), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Dominic Morris (Saracens), Joe Mullis (Gloucester), Jack Nay (Saracens), Tom Parton (London Irish), Harry Randall (Gloucester), Alex Seville (Gloucester), Marcus Street (Exeter Chiefs), Jacob Umaga (Wasps), Henry Walker (Gloucester), Max Wright (Yorkshire Carnegie)
Australia
Seeding for 2017: 6
Best finish: Runners-up (2010)
Worst finish: Eighth (2012)
U20 Championship match record: Played 45 / Won 27 / Lost 18
U20 Championship points/tries scored: 1,439 / 202
Coach: Simon Cron
Captain: Reece Hewat
Squad: Lachlan Anderson, Angus Blyth, Harrison Goddard, Harry Hockings, Henry Hutchison, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Nick Jooste, Simon Kennewell, Gavin Luka, Efi Ma’afu, Jack Maddocks, Sama Malolo, Ryan McCauley, Liam McNamara, Harry Nucifora, Izaia Perese, Dylan Riley, Angus Scott-Young, Hamish Stewart, Lachlan Swinton, Sione Tuipulotu, Semisi Tupou, Jordan Uelese, Rob Valetini, Shambeckler Vui, Cody Walker, Reece Hewat, Liam Wright
Wales
Seeding for 2017: 7
Best finish: Runners-up (2013)
Worst finish: Seventh (2010, 2011, 2014)
U20 Championship match record: Played 45 / Won 27 / Lost 18
U20 Championship points/tries scored: 1,164 / 137
Coach: Jason Strange
Captain: Will Jones
Squad: Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Blues), Dane Blacker (Cardiff Blues), Sid Blackmore (Bath Rugby), James Botham (Cardiff Blues), Callum Bradbury (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues), Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets), Eddie Drake (Bridgend Ravens), Connor Edwards (Newport Gwent Dragons), Joe Goodchild (Newport Gwent Dragons), Will Griffiths (Ospreys), Owen Hughes (Newport Gwent Dragons), Scott Jenkins (Scarlets), Ben Jones (Cardiff Blues), Phil Jones (Ospreys), Will Jones (captain, Ospreys), Shane Lewis-Hughes (Cardiff Blues), Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues), Cameron Lewis (Cardiff Blues), Sean Moore (Pontypridd), Reuben Morgan-Williams (Ospreys), Ioan Nicholas (Scarlets), Arwel Robson (Newport Gwent Dragons), Jared Rosser (Newport Gwent Dragons), Ellis Shipp (Newport Gwent Dragons), Will Talbot-Davies (Newport Gwent Dragons), Steff Thomas (Scarlets), Aled Ward (Cardiff Blues)
Samoa
Seeding for 2017: 12 (U20 Trophy 2016 winners)
Best finish: Seventh (2008, 2009)
Worst finish: 12th (2016)
U20 Championship match record: Played 35 / Won 11 / Lost 24
U20 Championship points/tries scored: 527 / 61
Coach: Mahonri Schwalger
Captain: Ivan Fepuleai
Squad: Francis Ah Him, Pupi Ah See, Suetena Asomua, Setu Enoka, Caleb Faalili, Paul Faalogo, Ivan Fepuleai, Losi Filipo, Theodore Filipo, Tagaloa Fonoti, Taina Fox Matamua, Gafatasi Fuimaono, Petalo Etemani Ikenasio, Lei Ioane, Daren Kellet, Leauma Uelese Leauma, Ethan Lolesio, Dilon Loibl, Ricky Luamanuvae, Hunter Paisami, Sunny Pettybourne, Aneriueta Fale Piopa, Alesana Pohla, Noel Sanft, Benjamin Sau, Jarimar Schuster, Lagaali Schuster, Wyatt Setu, Nese Solia, Shamma Solomona, Nathan Sasagi Taaga, Tanielu Telea, Godinet Tinea, Peato Toeafe, Julius Togafau, Simon Peter Toleafoa, Frank Tupuola
Pool B
Ireland
Seeding for 2017: 2
Best finish: Second (2016)
Worst finish: Ninth (2008, 2010)
U20 match record: Played 45 / Won 23 / Lost 22
U20 points/tries scored: 1,057 / 112
Coach: Peter Malone
Captain: Paul Boyle
Squad: Paul Boyle (c), Charlie Connolly, Joey Conway, Gavin Coombes, Peter Cooper, Angus Curtis, Conor Dean, Caelan Doris, Oisin Dowling, Jordan Duggan, Ciaran Frawley, John Foley, Colm Hogan, Ronan Kelleher, Jack Kelly, Sean Masterson, David McCarthy, Tadgh McElroy, Greg McGrath, Gavin Mullin, Calvin Nash, Marcus Rea, Jack Regan, Jack Stafford, Jonny Stewart, Michael Silvester, Alan Tynan, Fineen Wycherley
New Zealand
Seeding for 2017: 5
Best finish: Champions (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015)
Worst finish: Fifth (2016)
U20 Championship match record: Played 45 / Won 38 / Lost 7
U20 Championship points / tries scored: 1,910 / 266
Coach: Craig Philpott
Captain: Luke Jacobson
Squad: Asafo Aumua, Sam Caird, Adrian Choat, Tom Christie, Caleb Clarke, Ryan Coxon, Ereatara Enari (vc), Braydon Ennor, Tima Faingaanuku, Tiaan Falcon, Tim Farrell, Alex Fidow, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, Luke Jacobson (c), Will Jordan, Orbyn Leger, Ezekiel Lindenmuth, Josh McKay, Marino Mikaele-Tuu, Jona Nareki, Dalton Papalii, Jacob Pierce, Pouri Rakete-Stones, John (JP) Sauni, Samuel Slade, Tamati Tua, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Isaia Walker-Leawere
Scotland
Seeding for 2017: 8
Best finish: Eighth (2015, 2016)
Worst finish: 10th (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014)
U20 match record: Played 45 / Won 16 / Lost 29
U20 points/tries scored: 877 / 116
Coach: John Dalziel
Captain: Callum Hunter-Hill
Squad: Patrick Anderson, Hamish Bain, Fergus Bradbury, Alex Craig, Luke Crosbie, Ruaridh Dawson, Tom Dodd, Ross Dunbar, Connor Eastgate, Archie Erskine, Matt Fagerson, Bruce Flockhart, Darcy Graham, Josh Henderson, Callum Hunter-Hill, Robert Kay, Blair Kinghorn, Ross McCann, Stafford McDowall, Robbie Nairn, Adam Nicol, Fraser Renwick, Charlie Shiel, Andrew Simmers, Robbie Smith, George Thornton, Daniel Winning
Italy
Seeding for 2017: 11
Best finish: 11th (2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Worst finish: 13th (2009 – last year of 16 teams)
U20 Championship match record: Played 35 / Won 9 / Lost 26
U20 Championship points / tries scored: 523 / 60
Coach: Alessandro Troncon
Captain: Marco Riccioni
Squad: Jacopo Bianchi, Andrea Bronzini, Niccolò Cannone, Massimo Ceciliani, Massimo Cioffi, Simone Cornelli, Roberto Dal Zilio, Andrea De Masi, Filippo Di Marco, Giovanni D'onofrio, Danilo Fischetti, Alessandro Forcucci, Dante Gavrilita, Michele Lamaro, Giovanni Licata, Matteo Luccardi, Lodovico Manni, Lorenzo Masselli, Matteomaria Panunzi, Marco Riccioni, Daniele Rimpelli, Antonio Rizzi, Alberto Rollero, Dario Schiabel, Charly Vincenzo Ernst Trussardi, Marco Zanon
Pool C
Argentina
Seeding for 2017: 3
Best finish: Third (2016)
Worst finish: 11th (2009)
U20 match record: Played 45 / Won 23 / Lost 22
U20 points/tries scored: 975 / 108
Coach: Gastón Conde
Captain: Tomás Malanos
Squad: Tomás Albornoz, Santiago Carreras, Teo Castiglioni, Juan Pablo Castro, Juan Bautista Daireaux, Bautista Delguy, Facundo Ferrario, Gonzalo García, José Luis González, Luciano González, Marcos Kremer, Alejandro Luna, Félix Luna, Tomás Malanos, Rodrigo Martínez, Agustín Medrano, Nahuel Milan, Franco Molina, Juan Molina, Leonel Oviedo, Lucas Paulos, Santiago Pulella, Santiago Ruiz, Matías Sauze, Bautista Stavile, Jeremías Tarter, Mayco Vivas, Nicolás Walker
South Africa
Seeding for 2017: 4
Best finish: Champions (2012)
Worst finish: Fifth (2011)
U20 Championship match record: Played 45 / Won 33 / Lost 11
U20 Championship points/tries scored: 1,745 / 236
Coach: Chean Roux
Captain: Ernst van Rhyn
Squad: Juarno Augustus, Kwenzo Blose, Curwin Bosch, David Brits, Jean-Luc Cilliers, Zain Davids, Francois de Villiers, Stedman Gans, Johan Grobbelaar (vc), Wikus Groenewald, Daniel Jooste, Rewan Kruger, Manie Libbok, Gianni Lombard, Len Massyn, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Salmaan Moerat, Reinhard Nothnagel, Embrose Papier, Yaw Penxe, Carl%u0171 Sadie, Wandisile Simelane, Hendre Stassen, Gerhard Steenekamp, Ruben van Heerden, Damian Willemse, Nama Xaba, Ernst van Rhyn (c)
France
Seeding for 2017: 9
Best finish: Fourth (2011, 2015)
Worst finish: Ninth (2016)
U20 Championship match record: Played 45 / Won 29 / Lost 16
U20 Championship points/tries scored: 1,224 / 152
Coach: Philippe Boher
Captain: Florian Verhaeghe
Squad: Alex Arrate, Hugo Boniface, Daniel Brennan, Romain Buros, Mickaël Capelli, Georges-Henri Colombe, Baptiste Couilloud, Arthur Coville, Dylan Cretin, Geoffrey Cros, Nathan Decron, Ibrahim Diallo, Florian Dufour, Zakaria El Fakir, Faraj Fartass, Charlie Francoz, Mathieu Jalibert, Hassane Kolingar, Peato Mauvaka, Théo Millet, Gabriel N'gandebe, Romain Ntamack, Baptiste Pesenti, Alexandre Roumat, Lucas Tauzin, Sélévasio Tolofua, Pablo Uberti, Florian Verhaeghe (c)
Georgia
Seeding for 2017: 10
Best finish: 10th (2016)
Worst finish: 10th (2016)
U20 Championship match record: Played 5 / Won 1 / Lost 4
U20 Championship points/tries scored: 58 / 7
Coach: Ilia Maisuradze
Captain: Ilia Spanderashvili
Squad: Tedo Abzhandadze, Gela Aprasidze, Shota Areshidze, Ushangi Cheishvili, Revaz Dugladze, Luka Dvalishvili, Bezhan Gavashelishvili, Guram Gogichashvili, Giorgi Gogoladze, Lasha Jaiani, Tornike Jalagonia, Koba Jimsheleishvili, Aexandre Kalmakhelidze, Giorgi Kveseladze, Arsen Machaladze, Davit Meskhi, Lado Miminoshvili, Mirian Modebadze, Giorgi Nutsubidze, Guram Papidze, Levan Papidze, Beka Saghinadze, Ilia Spanderashvili, Saba Svimonishvili, Lasha Tabidze, Akaki Tabutsadze, Giorgi Tsiklauri, Tengiz Zamtaradze