We bring you some interesting statistics on past finals at the World Rugby U20 Championship to whet your appetite for the 2017 decider between England and New Zealand at the Mikheil Meshki Stadium in Tblisi on Sunday.

  • Six teams have reached an U20 Championship final in New Zealand, England, Australia, South Africa, Wales and Ireland
     
  • Three teams have lifted the coveted trophy in New Zealand (2008-11 and 2015), South Africa (2012) and England (2013-14 and 2016)
     
  • This will be a record eighth appearance in the final for England, although their win ratio is only 42.86 per cent after losing four times to New Zealand in the title decider 
     
  • 2017 is England’s fifth successive appearance in a final, equalling the record New Zealand set from 2008-12
     
  • There have been two all-northern hemisphere finals, both involving England. They beat Wales in 2013 and Ireland in 2016
     
  • The nine captains to have lifted the coveted trophy are Chris Smith (New Zealand, 2008), Aaron Cruden (New Zealand, 2009), Tyler Bleyendaal (New Zealand, 2010), Luke Whitelock (New Zealand, 2011), Wiaan Liebenberg (South Africa, 2012), Jack Clifford (England, 2013), Maro Itoje (England, 2014), Atu Moli (New Zealand, 2015) and Harry Mallinder (England, 2016)
     
  • Only three times has an U20 Championship final not featured New Zealand – in 2013, 2014 and 2016
     
  • Iconic rugby venues to have hosted a World Rugby U20 Championship final include Newlands in 2012 and Eden Park in 2014
     
  • The 2017 final will be the 320th match in U20 Championship history
     
  • A total of 467 points have been scored in the nine previous finals
     
  • Fifty-two tries have been scored in finals, all bar 28 of them by five-time champions New Zealand. Thirty-nine of these tries – or 75 per cent – have been turned into seven pointers
     
  • The only player to score a hat-trick in an U20 Championship final is Telusa Veainu in New Zealand's 62-17 win over Australia in 2010
     
  • New Zealand duo Aaron Cruden and Zac Guildford both scored braces in the 2009 final, as did England winger Christian Wade in their 2011 loss to New Zealand, winger Ashley Evans in Wales’ loss to England in 2013, centre Jesse Kriel in the Junior Springboks’ defeat by England in 2014 and England duo Harry Mallinder and Joe Marchant in the win over Ireland in 2016
     
  • The first player to score a try in an U20 Championship final was New Zealand wing Kade Poki, after 17 minutes of the 2008 title decider with England at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, Wales
     
  • The last player to score a try was Ireland number eight Max Deegan in their 45-21 defeat by England in the 2016 final in Manchester.
     
  • All nine tries scored in the 2016 final were converted, the first time this has happened in an U20 Championship title decider
     
  • The fastest try in an U20 Championship final was scored by New Zealand hooker Liam Coltman within the first minute in 2010 against Australia
     
  • By contrast, the longest wait for a try in an U20 Championship final was 34 minutes in 2012, the time it took for New Zealand's Milford Keresoma to dot down at Newlands against host nation South Africa
     
  • Forty-three players have scored a try in an U20 Championship final to date
     
  • The first points scored in an U20 Championship final were by New Zealand full-back Trent Renata with a penalty after five minutes in 2008 against England
     
  • Ten is the most tries scored in an U20 Championship final during New Zealand's 44-28 win over England in 2009. The champions scored seven of them
     
  • The winning team has scored the most tries in six of the nine finals. Ironically the three exceptions – in 2011, 2013 and 2014 when tries where level – involved England
     
  • The most points scored in a single U20 Championship final is 79 in New Zealand's scintillating 62-17 defeat of Australia in 2010. The lowest total is 37 in 2015
     
  • The fewest points scored by any team in an U20 Championship final are the three England managed against New Zealand in the inaugural tournament in 2008
     
  • The most points scored by a losing team in an U20 Championship final is the 28 by England in their loss to New Zealand in 2009
     
  • The smallest winning margin in an U20 Championship final is the single point that separated England and South Africa in 2014
     
  • Dave Rennie is the most successful coach in U20 Championship final history, overseeing New Zealand’s first three titles between 2008 and 2010
     
  • Eleven players have won more than one winners' medals: Zac Guildford (2008-09), Willie Ioane (2009-10), Luke Whitelock and Glen Robertson (2010-11) for New Zealand and England’s Callum Braley, Joel Conlon, Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, Ross Moriarty, Harry Sloan and Tom Stephenson (2013-14), and England’s Jack Walker (2014 and 2016)
     
  • The top point scorer in an U20 Championship final is Tyler Bleyendaal, the New Zealand captain in 2010 contributing 28 points to their cause in the 62-17 win over Australia
     
  • There have also been 42 penalties kicked with the most in a single final being six in 2010, 2012 and 2015. By contrast, only one was kicked in the 2016 title decider
     
  • The only person to slot a drop goal between the posts in an U20 Championship final is South Africa fly-half Handré Pollard in 2012
     
  • There have been three red cards and six yellow cards in U20 Championship finals. Two of the red cards came in 2012 with New Zealand’s Ofa Tu’ungafasi and South African Paul Willemse dismissed just before the hour mark. The other came in the inaugural final in 2008 when England’s Calum Clark saw red

Who do you think will be crowned champions in 2017? Join the conversation @WorldRugby using #WorldRugbyU20s.