The race for the semi-finals at the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 is heating up after Thursday's second round of matches saw plenty of tries scored in Tbilisi and Kutaisi as seven teams remain unbeaten.
Defending champions South Africa were made to work hard in a physical battle with Georgia, while Argentina, England and Wales were also free-scoring winners in the Georgian capital.
Meanwhile, over at AIA Arena in Kutaisi, Australia, France and New Zealand made it back-to-back wins with Italy claiming their first after overcoming Japan in the final match of the day.
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POOL A
WALES 47-0 URUGUAY: Wales show their class to register seven-try win against spirited Los Teritos
Wales stylishly made it two wins from two in hot conditions at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi to set up a mouthwatering Pool A decider with defending champions South Africa next Tuesday.
Richard Whiffin’s men, who edged out hosts Georgia 25-24 in a dramatic opener last Saturday, showed their class again by running in seven tries past Uruguay to seal the bonus point.
Replacement Steffan Emanuel’s double and further first-half tries from Oscar Thomas and Alex Ridgway laid the platform for victory in their first-ever meeting with Uruguay at the Junior World Championship.
Whiffin made 13 changes to the side who beat Georgia but the breakthrough try came when centre Emanuel finished off a well-worked move in the left corner.
Wales second-row Osian Justin Williams was shown a yellow card but 18-year-old hooker Thomas dived over from close range before his Bath team-mate – the outstanding Ridgway – did likewise before Emanuel’s second sealed the bonus point.
That made it 26-0 at the break and, despite Wales losing prop Dylan James to a yellow card, they ran in further tries from Ridgway again and wingers Brogan Leary and Tom Bowen.
For Wales it was the perfect preparation for their huge encounter with the Junior Springboks, while next up for Los Teritos is a meeting with hosts Georgia as they seek to avoid a third straight defeat.
SOUTH AFRICA 33-5 GEORGIA: Mnebelele at the double as Junior Springboks see off hosts Georgia
Defending champions South Africa showed again they will take some stopping after making it two wins from two at Avchala Stadium.
The Junior Springboks were severely tested by a physical Georgia side roared on by a raucous home crowd, but still outscored their hosts by five tries to one as they capitalised on the Junior Lelos' ill-discipline.
Kevin Foote’s men will now face Wales on Tuesday in a winner-takes-all encounter for top spot – and a semi-final berth – as they bid to defend their crown.
Georgia scored first in a compelling first half, winger Luka Tabatadze diving over in the corner for a clinical finish to cap off a brilliant flowing move by the Junior Lelos who largely dominated the opening quarter.
It was just reward for their high-energy start but South Africa’s class gradually told as they hit back with two tries to lead 12-5 at the break. Inspirational captain Siphosethu Mnebelele scored them both, first going over from point-blank range in the 22nd minute before repeating the trick 11 minutes later.
Georgia prop Levani Ezieshvili saw his yellow card upgraded to a 20-minute red for head contact on Luan Giliomee just before half-time and South Africa cut loose after the break with tries from Cheswill Jooste and Giliomee.
Georgia’s cause was not helped by yellow cards for Daviti Tsiklauri and Luka Tabatadze and the Junior Springboks added a late fifth try through flanker Luke Cannon.
POOL B
NEW ZEALAND 36-26 SCOTLAND: New Zealand edge out spirited Scotland in close-fought affair
New Zealand edged a full-blooded encounter to rack up their second win of the tournament in Kutaisi to remain on track for finishing top of Pool B.
Scotland battled superbly throughout but Kane Jury’s side outscored them by five tries to four as they chase a record-extending seventh Junior World Championship title – and first since the tournament was last held in Georgia in 2017.
Both sides contributed to an outstanding first half which ended with New Zealand 17-7 ahead. Replacement centre Logan Williams, a former Scotland U18 international, came off the bench to open the scoring for Jury’s men in the 18th minute in dramatic fashion.
An implacable challenge by New Zealand captain Haki Wiseman on Jake Dalziel saw the ball run loose and winger David Lewai hacked forward superbly for Dundee-born Williams to touch down.
A stunning break and offload from Kele Lasaqa created a second try for full-back Norrie before Scotland replied on the stroke of half-time through number eight Harvey Preston.
Immediately after the interval, Norrie completed his double but Fergus Pringle’s men replied again, this time through hooker Joe Roberts’ close-range try.
Yet New Zealand’s class told once more as they breached the Scots’ defence for a fourth time as centre Siale Pahulu finished off a delightful break and offload from Norrie.
Roberts’ second cut New Zealand’s lead but a try from John Falloon with 12 minutes remaining confirmed their victory before Daniel Kelly’s last-minute score gave Scotland a try-bonus point.
POOL B
ITALY 41-25 JAPAN: Italy claim first win of tournament with impressive six-try success
Italy showed their class to claim a bonus-point win against Japan at AIA Arena in Kutaisi as they bounced back from their opening loss to Scotland in style.
The Azzurrini narrowly lost 38-32 to the Scots but they had too much quality for Japan heading into Tuesday’s encounter with top of the table New Zealand.
They will certainly take plenty of positives from the manner of this victory as six different players got on the scoresheet.
Winger David Luisato finished neatly to put Italy in front before centre Tsunehidemichi Fukuda hit back to put Japan ahead as half-time approached. However, there was still time for Giacomo Falchetto to score a second try for the Azzurrini before the break, sending them in at the interval with a slender 17-11 advantage.
The second half, however, belonged to Italy as they ran in four more tries to underline their superiority. Captain Riccardo Casarin, Ettore Dinarte Patricio, Valerio Pelli and Nikolaj Varotto all crossed the Japanese line to keep alive Italy’s hopes of topping the pool heading into their meeting with New Zealand.
Japan scored a late consolation through winger Isa Fukada as they prepare to face Scotland on Tuesday.
POOL C
ARGENTINA 62-40 IRELAND: Los Pumitas showcase attacking brilliance to record famous win
A stunning first-half display from Argentina laid the platform for an exhilarating bonus-point victory over Ireland in Tbilisi, which sets up a huge Pool C decider with England next Tuesday.
In the sixth Junior World Championship meeting between the sides, Los Pumitas made it three wins apiece, avenging a 37-7 semi-final loss in their previous meeting with Ireland in 2016.
Ireland threatened a second-half comeback as they salvaged a try-bonus point, but their title hopes are over as Argentina made it two wins from two by outscoring their opponents by eight tries to six.
Los Pumitas led 31-7 at half-time and, despite conceding five second-half tries, they kept scoring themselves to clinch a famous win in the Georgian capital.
Winger Luciano Avaca dived over in the left corner for the opener and fly-half Federico Serpa Laporte scampered clear to cap a brilliant long-range move soon after. Ireland gradually steadied themselves and hit back midway through the first half when hooker Rian Handley crashed over from a lineout drive.
But the sinbinning of winger Daniel Ryan in the 31st minute proved costly as Argentina’s devastating counter-attacking rugby saw them score twice more to seal the bonus point before the break.
Full-back Simon Pfister touched down in the 34th minute to finish off another delightful handling sequence and captain Tomas Dande scored two minutes later to make it 31-7 at the interval.
The ubiquitous Pfister completed his brace early in the second half – taking him to five tries for the tournament – before Avaca, Bautista Lescano and Manuel Giannantonio increased Argentina’s tally.
Ireland showed commendable spirit and were rewarded with second-half scores from Charlie O'Shea (two), Jack Deegan, Blake McClean and Josh Neill.
ENGLAND 68-40 USA: England register second straight win after outgunning understrength but spirited USA
USA overcame the loss of six players to illness in the camp to produce a monumental effort which saw them give England a scare before Andy Titterrell’s side claimed their second straight win.
England looked to be coasting to victory at 49-14 ahead early in the second half, but Johannes Gericke’s side simply refused to lie down and hit back with four tries – including a hat-trick from centre Dane Mitchell – to seal a thoroughly-deserved try-bonus point.
It was a far cry from their only previous meeting at a Junior World Championship, a 109-0 win for England in France in 2013.
Flanker Jack Lewis opened the scoring from close range for England before centre Finlay Cunnison added a second. USA replied through Will Darbishire’s fine finish in the left corner but England quickly assumed total control to lead 42-14 at the break.
Prop Oliver Scola scored midway through the first half before the impressive hooker Jerold Gorleku claimed a quickfire brace on the half-hour mark. Centre Jameson Beatty replied for USA but full-back George Pearson glided under the posts to add England’s sixth before the break.
Nick Lilley showed blistering speed to race down the left flank and score England’s seventh before Dane Mitchell hit back with a superb long-range score for USA.
Full-back Gavin Holder then dived over for a fourth American try to clinch the bonus point and then Mitchell, remarkably, completed his brace with USA’s fifth try at Avchala Stadium.
His 61st-minute score cut the gap to 16 points before England duo Jonny Weimann and captain Connor Treacey dotted down either side of Mitchell’s hat-trick try.
POOL D
FRANCE 57-32 SPAIN: Les Bleuets survive scare before outgunning gallant Spain in second half
France registered their second win in as many games at AIA Arena but were made to work for it by a hugely spirited Spain side who led at half-time before eventually succumbing to a comprehensive defeat.
Hugo Avogadro, Matheo Frisach, Lilian Bare and Raphael Audebert all scored twice as Les Bleuets flashed another title warning to their rivals with a Pool D decider against Australia now looming on Tuesday after adding to theri 45-15 defeat of Fiji in round one.
Winger Avogadro put the U20 Six Nations champions ahead but Los Leones U20 led 20-17 at the interval with tries from Oriol Marsinyac Garcia, Solomon Ibeoba and Miguel Narvarte as they punished ill-discipline from France that saw hooker Yanis Basse and replacement prop Alexandre Langlois sin-binned in quick succession.
Les Bleuets scored their third try on the stroke of half-time through Frisach before number eight Bare took centre stage in the second half, scoring twice to put his side in control.
Audebert emulated his fellow back-row by claiming two tries in the space of 20 second-half minutes as France cut loose in some style, beating Spain for the third consecutive Junior World Championship.
Frisach scored his second and Melyn Rates added France’s ninth late on but Spain’s endeavour was rewarded with scores from Unax Salvador Asama and the impressive co-captain Marsinyac again to again secure a try-bonus point in defeat.
The 25 points they scored marked Los Leones U20’s highest-ever tally against France and they will hope to round out their Pool D fixtures by claiming a their first-ever Junior World Championship pool-stage victory, against Fiji on Tuesday.
AUSTRALIA 53-17 FIJI: Junior Wallabies turn on the style to set up pool decider against France
Australia have never been crowned winners of the Junior World Championship, but they signalled their intent in this year’s tournament with another impressive win at AIA Arena in Kutaisi.
Having dispatched Spain 90-22 in Saturday’s opener, they showed their class once again to leave Fiji nursing a second defeat following their loss to France five days earlier.
Early tries from second-row Toby Brial and winger Tom Farr-Jones put the Junior Wallabies in control and helped them establish a commanding 36-3 half-time lead.
Fiji stemmed the tide after the break, and scored two tries from Maleli Nauvasi and Ratu Epeli Roseruvakula to salvage some pride despite being outclassed by Australia.
It was impressive stuff from Chris Whitaker’s young guns, who led through Brial before further scores from Farr-Jones, Ewald Kruger, Treyvon Pritchard and Sam Blank.
Fiji replied through captain Maleli Nauvasi in the 51st minute and Roseruvakula added their second 11 minutes later but the Junior Wallabies showed their class with further scores from Farr-Jones, Marshall Le Maitre and Angus Grover.
It was an untidy affair at times as both sides had three players sin-binned, but Australia march on with next Tuesday’s encounter against Les Bleuets – a repeat of the 2019 final – already coming into clear focus.
