France and New Zealand look set to deliver another epic
The first semi-final is almost too close to call and laden with intrigue as the U20 Six Nations champions take on the U20 Rugby Championship 2024 winners.
Not only do the two teams come into the game with very similar records from the pool phase – France’s 20 tries to New Zealand’s 19; a points difference of just three between them – but there are scores to settle too.
New Zealand won an epic pool-stage match between the two at the World Rugby U20 Championship 2024 courtesy of a penalty with the last kick of the game, only for France to take revenge in the semi-final ten days later.
New Zealand dominated territory and possession but France were at their ruthless best, running in seven tries while fly-half Hugo Reus kicked nine out of nine from the tee as Les Bleuets won 55-31.
While New Zealand have conceded the least number of points in this year’s tournament with 46, it is hard to say how much they have improved defensively as they have yet to face a team as dangerous as France.
There is no doubt about the quality of New Zealand’s attacking players, though. Frank Vaenuku has made the most clean breaks in the tournament with nine. He and fellow wing Maloni Kunawave ran for an astonishing 238 metres between them in the last game against Ireland, while Rico Simpson, who has played fly-half and full-back, has by far the most number of offloads in the competition with 13.
Waiting for them will be a big, athletic French pack led by captain Antoine Deliance. The back row has made 38 tackles across just two games.
After beating Argentina in their final pool match, France coach Cédric Laborde immediately turned his attention to New Zealand, saying his team were “confident” and “excited”.
France v New Zealand, Semi-final, 18:00 (CET)
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Semi-final South Africa’s to lose but Argentina no novices
This is Argentina’s fourth World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final so it would be wrong to say they will be happy just to have made it this far, but they certainly start as underdogs having made it through to the last four courtesy of a 73rd-minute try in their final pool match against France to secure a bonus point.
No such worries for South Africa, who – having already reached the semis – could afford to make 11 changes to their starting XI against Scotland and still win 73-14. The Junior Springboks put the same number of points on Australia in their opening game, then came from behind to stun 2024 champions England 32-22.
Having finished a disappointing eighth on home soil in last year’s tournament, the Junior Springboks certainly look like a team on a mission.
Coach Kevin Foote says his squad are “in a good place”, using adjectives such as “focused”, “mature”, “humble” and “clinical” to describe their performances so far.
You could add ‘electric’ to that list, thanks to a back division that has extreme pace everywhere you look, led by scrum-half Hassiem Pead, the top try scorer in the tournament so far with five.
Their only problem, it seems, is deciding who to leave out. “It will be a very difficult job,” admitted Foote, while back row Thando Biyela – captain against Scotland – believes there’s “room for improvement”.
Complacency certainly won’t be a problem, then. But one area South Africa haven’t really been tested yet is their lineout defence. That is likely to change against Los Pumitas, who have mauled for far more metres (148) – aside from Georgia (146) – than any other team.
South Africa v Argentina, Semi-final, 20:30 (CET)
Wales hope lightning strikes twice against England
It is not how England hoped their title defence would pan out but Mark Mapletoft’s team certainly won’t lack for motivation when they take on Wales in the first of Monday’s Fifth-place semi-finals.
Wales denied England a grand slam in the 2025 U20 Six Nations with a 23-13 backs-to-the-walls victory. This time they won’t have the 16th man of the Cardiff Arms Park crowd but they will need back row Harry Beddall to lead from the front again. The Wales captain is the World Rugby U20 Championship 2025’s most prolific tackler with 51.
In the other Fifth-place semi-final, Italy will guarantee their highest ever finish in this tournament with victory over Australia, who will want pay-back for the 17-12 defeat in last year’s pool stage.
The Azzurrini have scored the fewest points (42) and conceded the second fewest (49) in the tournament, while the Junior Wallabies – who have bounced back well from defeat to South Africa by beating Scotland and pushing England all the way – have been far stronger in attack than defence. An intriguing contrast in styles but something has got to give.
Spain go into the other Ninth-place semi knowing victory against Georgia will better their 11th-place finish at last year’s debut tournament at this level. Despite being competitive in all three of their matches, the Junior Lelos can only equal last year’s finish of ninth place at best. They will have to do it without captain Andro Dvali, who is suspended. The back row is Georgia’s third top tackler of the tournament with 21 and their only player to have completed more than one offload (2).
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