World Rugby U20 Championship 2025: six talking points from match round 3

RSA 73-14 SCO: Junior Springboks still look the team to beat

South Africa could afford to make 11 changes for the match against Scotland – including star scrum-half Hassiem Pead dropping to the bench – and still score 11 tries, racking up the same number of points as they managed in the opening-round demolition of Australia.

Scotland had all the early pressure only for left-wing Jaco Williams to leap high into the air to gather an attacking Scottish kick and then race three-quarters of the length of the field, gathering a kick of his own to score the game’s opening try.

With frightening power and pace, South Africa were almost able to score at will from there on in, easing off either side of half-time, only to score four more tries in the last 20 minutes, with that man Pead rounding things off.

“Obviously very, very happy,” captain on the day TB Biyela said. “The boys stuck to what we know best. We have very fast wings so we use them, and it works for us. We need to keep on prepping, keep on doing our jobs and see next week [if we can win our first title in 13 years].”

After topping Pool A with a perfect record, South Africa will play Argentina in the semi-finals, while Scotland take on Ireland in the Ninth-place semi-finals.

WAL 35-25 ESP: Wales find winning formula against spirited Spain

“We’ve had two really close games that could have gone either way so we really needed this,” said Wales captain Harry Beddall after their 35-25 victory against Spain in Pool B

Wales had impressed in attack against Argentina and France before fading in the final quarter, but this was a scrappier affair with both teams desperate for their first victory of the tournament – and, in Spain’s case, only a second ever victory at this level.

Wales scored four tries to secure a winning bonus point, the pick from replacement Sion Davies on the hour mark after he weaved his way through Spain’s midfield defence.

Spain enjoyed more of the territory and possession and also edged the other attacking stats but, as has been the story of their tournament, lacked finishing power. They did lead 18-14 at half-time, scoring two tries either side of Ellis Lewis’s yellow card. But 14 unanswered points from Wales gave them a victory their performances so far have deserved.

“We’ve shown we can compete with the big teams," Beddall said.

Wales will play England in the Fifth-place semi-finals, while Spain will play Georgia in the Ninth-place semi-finals.

NZL 69-22 IRE: Improving New Zealand send statement of intent

It’s not how you start a tournament, it’s where you finish it that counts. And New Zealand seem to be getting better with every game. After scraping past Italy and coming from behind to go through the gears against Georgia, New Zealand finished Pool C with a bang, albeit after another slow start.

In a rerun of last year’s bronze-medal match, two well-worked tries put Ireland into a 10-point lead after seven minutes but that’s as good as it got for the Irish, who had no answer to the variety and potency of New Zealand’s attack.

The first of 11 tries came from number eight Mosese Bason after a series of pick-and-goes, but they mixed it up thereafter, from sweeping team moves to a solo effort by powerhouse wing Maloni Kunawave.

While Ireland captain Eanna McCarthy said his shellshocked team will “take a lot of learnings from the game” into their Ninth-place semi-final against Scotland, New Zealand skipper Manumaua Letiu admitted they’re “building really nicely” for the semi-finals, where they will face France.

“I’m just really proud of the boys for keeping our calm after the first 20 minutes. We stayed tight as a team and knew what to do. We’ll be ready to go [for the semi-final].”

ENG 36-33 AUS: England reign over despite last-gasp bonus-point win

Last year's champions England got the bonus-point win they required to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals, but they made hard work of it against an Australia team that that just wouldn’t go away.

After Connor Treacey took advantage of Archie McParland’s snipe off the base of a ruck to score England’s opening try on 12 minutes, they always kept their noses in front, but lacked the attacking fluency of the win against Scotland and opening 20 minutes against South Africa. Nevertheless, Kepueli Tuipulotu’s hat-trick secured the bonus point before Jack Bracken’s try gave England a seemingly unassailable 33-14 lead with 20 minutes to go.

But back came Australia with three converted tries to tie the scores, and it needed a last-minute penalty kick from Benjamin Coen to give England all five points.

“We were in control for most of the time but in that last 20 you can’t afford to switch off,” said captain on the day, Tuipulotu. “We’re thankful for the win today.”

In the end, it wasn’t enough, as England failed to reach the semi-finals for only the third time in the competition’s history.

FRA 52-26 ARG: France dominant but Argentina through with four-try bonus point

France booked their place in the semi-finals within 15 minutes of kick-off with four quickfire tries against Argentina giving them the bonus point they needed and leaving Argentina – who also just needed a single bonus point – with a mountain to climb.

But climb it they did, despite losing by 26 points. “After the opening 15 minutes, the only achievement was to qualify for the semi-finals,” said captain Felipe Ledesma. To do this, they would need to score four tries.

When Pedro Coll rumbled over on 53 minutes to score Los Pumitas’ third try after a period of sustained pressure, it looked they would get there comfortably. But the lineout started malfunctioning and France kept attacking – as well as defending with their lives.

Argentina were held up over Les Bleuets’ line before replacement hooker Jerónimo Otano crashed over from a driving lineout to seal a semi-final tie against South Africa and send England out. France will play New Zealand in the other semi-final.

GEO 19-19 ITA: Late drama leaves hosts one game from history

Italy are one win away from their highest-ever finish at the World Rugby U20 Championship after an injury-time try gave them a draw against 14-man Georgia.

The Junior Lelos, who lost captain Andro Dvali to a red card in the 12^th minute, look to have won the match in the 80^th minute, when the talismanic Luka Takaishvili crossed for his second try of the match.

But with the clock in the red, Edoardo Todaro scored under the posts for the Azzurrini to set up a Fifth-place semi-final with Australia. Georgia will play Spain in the Ninth-place semi-final.

All the semi-finals take place on Monday, July 14.

Watch all the games on RugbyPass TV by clicking here.