Men's Rugby WR Under 20 World Championship 2019

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Men's Rugby WR Under 20 World Championship 2019

 

Rosario/Santa Fe (ARG) - 4 June 2019 - 22 June 2019

 



Official Website

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• The World Rugby U20 Championship features 12 teams.
• The team that finishes 12th at the completion of the 2019 tournament will be relegated to the World Rugby U20 Trophy in 2020. The winning team from the World Rugby U20 Trophy 2019 will be promoted to the U20 Championship in 2020.
• The 12 teams have been divided into three pools of four teams as follows:

 

 

 

Pool A

France

Argentina

Wales

Fiji

Pool B

England

Australia

Italy

Ireland

Pool C

South Africa

New Zealand

Georgia

Scotland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teams will play each other in each pool on a round-robin basis. Match points will be awarded for each pool match on the following basis:

Win = 4 points
Draw = 2 points
Scoring four tries or more = 1 point
Loss by seven or less points = 1 point
Loss by more than seven points = 0 points

 

 

At the conclusion of the pool phase, the teams in a pool are ranked one through four based on their cumulative match points, and identified respectively as winner, runner up, third and fourth.

If, at the completion of the pool phase, two or more teams are level on match points, then the following criteria shall be used in the following order until one of the teams can be determined as the higher ranked:

(i) The winner of the match in which the two tied teams have played each other shall be the higher ranked:
(ii)    The team which has the best difference between points scored for and points scored against in all its pool matches shall be the higher ranked:
(iii)    The team which has the best difference between tries scored for and tries scored against in all its pool matches shall be the higher ranked:
(iv)    The team which has scored most points in all its pool matches shall be the higher ranked:
(v)    The team which has scored most tries in all its pool matches shall be the higher ranked: and
(vi)    If none of the above produce a result, then it will be resolved with a toss of a coin.

 

 

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Pool A

France

Argentina

Wales

Fiji

 

 

Pool A Fixtures

 

June 4th	Argentina	25	v	30	Wales	Rosario
June 4th	France	36	v	20	Fiji	Rosario
June 8th	Argentina	-	v	-	Fiji	Santa Fe
June 8th	France	-	v	-	Wales	Rosario
June 12th	Wales	-	v	-	Fiji	Santa Fe
June 12th	France	-	v	-	Argentina	Rosario

 

 

Pool A Standings

 

Rank	Nation	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BP	PTS
1	France	1	1	0	0	36	20	+16	5	2	1	5
2	Wales	1	1	0	0	30	25	+5	2	3	0	4
3	Argentina	1	0	0	1	25	30	-5	3	2	1	1
4	Fiji	1	0	0	1	20	36	-16	2	5	0	0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pool B

England

Australia

Italy

Ireland

 

 

Pool B Fixtures

 

June 4th	Australia	36	v	12	Italy	Santa Fe
June 4th	England	26	v	42	Ireland	Santa Fe
June 8th	Australia	-	v	-	Ireland	Santa Fe
June 8th	England	-	v	-	Italy	Santa Fe
June 12th	Italy	-	v	-	Ireland	Santa Fe
June 12th	England	-	v	-	Australia	Rosario

 

 

Pool B Standings

 

Rank	Nation	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BP	PTS
1	Australia	1	1	0	0	36	12	+24	5	2	1	5
2	Ireland	1	1	0	0	42	26	+16	6	3	1	5
3	England	1	0	0	1	26	42	-16	3	6	0	0
4	Italy	1	0	0	1	12	36	-24	2	5	0	0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pool C

South Africa

New Zealand

Georgia

Scotland

 

 

Pool C Fixtures

 

June 4th	South Africa	43	v	19	Scotland	Rosario
June 4th	New Zealand	45	v	13	Georgia	Santa Fe
June 8th	South Africa	-	v	-	Georgia	Rosario
June 8th	New Zealand	-	v	-	Scotland	Rosario
June 12th	Georgia	-	v	-	Scotland	Rosario
June 12th	South Africa	-	v	-	New Zealand	Rosario

 

 

Pool C Standings

 

Rank	Nation	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BP	PTS
1	New Zealand	1	1	0	0	45	13	+32	7	1	1	5
2	South Africa	1	1	0	0	43	19	+24	6	3	1	5
3	Scotland	1	0	0	1	19	43	-24	3	6	0	0
4	Georgia	1	0	0	1	13	45	-32	1	7	0	0

 

 

 

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Day 1 at the Men's U20 World Championships

 

 

 

Pool A

 

Argentina 25 - 30 Wales

 

In a repeat of last year's 5th-place play-off, which Los Pumitas won 39-15, the hosts Argentina squared off against Wales once again. This is the second time that Argentina have hosted the pinnacle tournament in the underage ranks.

With Pool A also containing defending champions France it was important for both teams to get off to a good start to their campaign. The day would belong to young dragons however, with Welsh fly-half Cai Evans, son of the legendary Welsh winger and captain, Ieuan Evans, kicking a total of 20 points (6 penalties and a conversion) to steer the northern-hemisphere team to victory. Wales will be hoping to go one step better than their previous best performance at the U20 World Championships in 2013, where they went down to England in the final. Argentina's best championship to date was a 3rd-place finish at the 2016 championships.

 

 

Match Highlights:

https://www.world.rugby/u20/video/428996

 

 

 

Match Report courtesy of World Rugby.com

Spoiler

Cai Evans bettered his 16-point haul against Australia in the opening match of last year’s U20 Championship to kick Wales to a thrilling victory at the Racecourse Ground in Rosario.

The fly-half only missed one of his eight attempts at goal, slotting six penalties and a conversion in a topsy-turvy match that saw the lead change hands six times and featured a brilliant solo effort from Los Pumitas full-back Ignacio Mendy.

The capacity crowd thought Mendy’s 40-metre weaving run on the hour-mark, that took him past six defenders, had set them on the way to victory but Wales hit back with a try from Ryan Conbeer.

Crucially Evans pushed Wales two scores ahead with his sixth penalty and while Joaquin de la Vega Mendia pulled back three points for the hosts, Wales survived the final three minutes to avenge last year’s fifth place semi-final defeat by Argentina.

Defensively Wales were magnificent in the first half, their solid red line proving largely impenetrable despite the loss of two starting players – outside centre Aneurin Owen and blindside flanker Lennon Greggains – to injury inside the first quarter.

At that stage Argentina led 7-3 after they responded to Evans’ early penalty with a close-range try for Francisco Minervino which Geronimo Prisciantelli converted before adding a penalty.

 

Ill-discipline and impatience, in the face of fierce tackling, prevented Argentina taking a firm grip on proceedings and Wales hit back on 28 minutes when Harri Morgan received the ball back from Rio Dyer for a well-worked score. Evans hit the post with his conversion attempt but made amends with a 36th-minute penalty to make it 11-10 to Wales at the break.

Argentina had torn Wales apart in the second half of last year’s encounter and this match appeared to be following a similar script when they  scored within four minutes of the restart, winger Rodrigo Isgro strolling over after Prisciantelli’s pinpoint cross-field kick found him in acres of space.

This time, though, Wales showed great resilience and good game-management put them in a position to force penalties, Evans punishing Los Pumitas with three kicks between the 47th and 56th minutes to edge his side 20-15 ahead.

Down to 14 men following a yellow card to Ramiro Tallone, Argentina were really up against it but after Mateo Carreras had had a try disallowed for a push in the build-up, Mendy had the crowd on their feet with his dazzling run.

With the conversion, Argentina had got their noses in front, but the joy was short-lived as Conbeer scored as he did in last year’s 39-15 defeat to Argentina. Evans tagged on the extras and then took his personal haul of points to 20 with another penalty before replacement De la Vega Mendia bisected the posts with a penalty of his own to ensure Los Pumitas got a deserved losing bonus point for their part in a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle.

 

Wales captain Dewi Lake said: “We spoke about it beforehand that this game wouldn’t be won after 20 minutes or 40 minutes, and that we’d have to be in it for the long haul. Credit to Argentina, they did drive us all the way to the end. One things Welsh teams pride themselves on, whether it is the senior team or the women, is the defence and how hard we work on it. Argentina broke us a couple of times and played well but I’m very proud of the boys’ performance.”

 

Argentina captain Juan Pablo Castro: “The guys played really well in the second half but Wales did not let us have control of the ball. We raised our level but it was not enough.” 

 

 

 

 

 

France 36 - 20 Fiji

 

 

On paper, it was going to be a tough ask for newly-promoted Fiji to have to take on defending champions France in their return to the top-tier of the men's U20 World Championships and indeed it proved to be.

The runners-up of this year's U20 Six Nations, France looked to be heading for an easy win when fullback Donovan Taofifenua crossed the white-wash with just over a minute gone in the first-half. But despite coming under extended periods of pressure, Fiji kept the contest a relatively tight affair even if France's route to victory on this opening day was never really in jeopardy.

France have hosted the championships twice, in 2013 and again in 2018 where they went on to lift the crown in their first-ever appearance in the final. Fiji's best result came all the way back in 2011 where they finished in 6th position and they appeared in each of the early editions of the championships since its inception in 2008. However, having flirted with relegation in 2012 and 2013, their relegation was confirmed in 2014 and they were away from the elite level for 5 years until their promotion back to the top-tier in 2019.

 

 

 

Match Highlights:

https://www.world.rugby/u20/video

 

 

 

Match Report courtesy of World Rugby.com

Spoiler

France did what was needed to get their U20 Championship title defence off to a winning start, but it was far from a faultless performance against a Fiji side that looked at home at this level after a five-year absence.

Having opened the scoring with just over a minute gone through full-back Donovan Taofifenua, France failed to capitalise on their dream start and sloppy play and a run of penalties allowed the World Rugby U20 Trophy 2018 winners back into the game.

Penalties from the boot of fly-half Caleb Muntz, after four and 13 minutes, cut the deficit to a single point, before Mathieu Smaili added to his earlier conversion with a penalty.

Had the ball not bounced awkwardly off the artificial surface, Epeli Momo could well have scored and another promising Fijian attack came to an end once France captain Matthis Lebel made a timely interception.

When last year’s Player of the Tournament Jordan Joseph (pictured) got on the end of a cross-field kick from Smaili to make the score 15-6, it appeared the tide had turned but Fiji were not done yet.

Shortly after Osea Waqa had knocked on with the line at his mercy, flanker Taniela Ramasibana found his way over the line from close range, Muntz converting to bring his side within two points of Les Bleuets at the break.

 

 

Winger Ethan Dumortier’s 44th-minute sin-binning for a dangerous tackle on Emosi Tuqiri asked further questions of France but they survived the 10 minutes with their line intact and actually pulled further in front when scrum-half Leo Coly darted under the posts after a good break in the build-up from centre Antoine Zeghdar.

The try, converted by Smaili, energised France and they did not have to wait long for the bonus-point score, their scrum dominance leading to Joseph’s second of the match.

Despite coming under increased pressure, Fiji finally broke free and a brilliant counterattack started and finished by Waqa, and converted by Muntz, gave them a glimmer of hope at 29-20 down with 12 minutes left to play.

Impressive maul defence kept France at bay but from the resulting scrum, the ball popped out at the back and Joseph was able to reach out and place a hand on it first despite a desperate attempt from Muntz. For the fourth time in the match, Smaili converted.

As hat-trick scores go, it wasn’t the prettiest, but Joseph will be delighted to have started off this year’s tournament where he left off in 2018, even if his team know there is plenty of room for improvement in the matches ahead.

 

France captain Matthis Lebel said: “The game was very difficult because Fiji are a big team. Our performance was good in parts and bad in parts. The second half was much better.”

Fiji captain Tevita Ikanivere said: “We worked on our weaknesses from the Oceania tournament and we gave France a good game in the first half. They came back at us in the second half and we couldn’t stay in it for the whole 80 minutes. We saw today we can play for 40, 60 but we need to play for the whole 80 minutes.” 

 

  

Edited June 5, 2019 by OlympicIRL

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Day 1 at the Men's U20 World Championships

 

 

 

Pool B

 

Australia 36 - 12 Italy

 

The Junior Wallabies opened their U20 World Championship campaign with a 5-try bonus point victory over Italy in Santa Fe. Australia who have not reached the final since 2010 and have never won the tournament were in clinical mood and opened up a 17-0 lead by half-tine.

In what is probably the pool of death, it will be a tough mountain to climb for the Azzurrini if they are to make it to the semi-finals or even to match their recent progress in this tournament, having secured back-to-back 8th place finishes in 207 and 2018. However, survival will be the aim of the game for the young Italians, having established themselves as annual participants in the top tier since 2014.

In 2015, Italy became the first nation to stage the tournament for a second time, having first hosted back in 2011. Australia have not hosted previously and have failed to make it to the semi-finals in the last 7 editions. They will be hoping to change their fortunes in Argentina this summer.

 

 

Match Highlights:

https://www.world.rugby/u20/video/428911

 

 

 

Match Report courtesy of World Rugby.com

Spoiler

Australia opened their World Rugby U20 Championship 2019 campaign with a 36-12 victory over Italy in Santa Fe, but were made to work harder for the win than the scoreline might suggest.

Finalists the last time the tournament was held in Argentina in 2010, the Junior Wallabies were clinical in possession on Tuesday, running in five tries despite spending large spells inside their own half.

Italy dominated up front for much of the first 60 minutes but were undone by handling errors and missed tackles, and ultimately had to make do with two late consolation scores.

The Azzurrini were forced into a substitution in only the second minute as Andrej Marinello departed on a stretcher having got into the wrong position as he attempted to tackle Will Harrison. Niccolo Taddio replaced the hooker and helped Italy win a penalty at the game’s first scrum. However, fly-half Paolo Garbini watched his attempt come up well short.

 

Australia were in clinical mood. Full-back Isaac Lucas stormed through a hole in the Italian defence to take them into the Azzurrini 22 for the first time with ball in hand, and after possession was recycled number eight Will Harris was in the right place to take a fine offload from captain Fraser McReight and score.

 

The Junior Wallabies were made to withstand some more Italian pressure, as Michael Mba was denied in the left corner, before Will Harrison stretched their lead to 10 points with a penalty in the 18th minute.

 

Italy thought they had scored three minutes later as Edoardo Mastandrea threatened the line from a lineout move. Referee Pali Deluca went to the TMO but Brian McNiece was unable to get a clear picture of a grounding.

The rest of the first half played out to a similar script until time added on, when Noah Lolesio broke clear in midfield. The Junior Wallabies centre kicked towards the left wing where Mark Nawaqanitawase was waiting.

Mastandrea produced a stunning tackle to deny Nawaqanitawase but Australia hooker Lachlan Lonergan, brother of last year's captain Ryan, was on hand to score. Harrison’s conversion made the score 17-0 at the break. That try gave the Junior Wallabies confidence and after withstanding some more Italian pressure at the beginning of the second half, Triston Reilly notched his side’s third try. 

 

Australia would score two more tries in the next seven minutes as Lonergan profited from a Harrison break before Lolesio also got himself on the scoresheet. The Junior Wallabies were unable to keep Italy scoreless, though, as after Joe Cotton was sent to the sin bin in the 75th minute, the Azzurrini crossed twice through Taddia and Jacopo Trulla.

 

Australia captain Fraser McReight: “It was a scrappy first 15, lot of mauls, lot of scrums, it was hard to get going but I think we found our feet in the back end of that first half. It’s always fun getting out there on the paddock and playing for Australia and with your mates. I was lucky to get a few turnovers.”

 

Italy captain Davide Ruggeri: “I only want to say congratulations to the Australian team, they are a really good side but we must work more. We must work more, we must understand the level. We have to work, work, work.”

 

 

 

 

England 26 - 42 Ireland

 

 

U20 Six Nations Grand Slam Champions Ireland made an impressive start to their World Championships campaign with a magnificent 5-try victory over their arch-rivals England in Santa Fe.

3-times champions England have made it to the final on the last 6 occasions and have only once failed to make it to the semi-finals in the 11 year history of the championships. However, they face a tough job to maintain that proud record and must hope that results go in their favour in order to claim either the top spot in the pool or finish as the best runner-up across all 3 pools.

Ireland, who came close to a shock relegation last year, reached the final of the U20 World Championships back in 2016, where they lost out to the hosts, England on that occasion. They also reached the semi-finals in 2014 when New Zealand hosted the tournament. With this opening bonus point victory, there is great optimism for the Six Nations Grand Slam champions to make it through the pool and into the semi-finals.

 

 

 

Match Highlights:

https://www.world.rugby/u20/video/429021

 

 

 

Match Report courtesy of World Rugby.com

Spoiler

Ireland kicked off their World Rugby U20 Championship campaign with an impressive 42-26 win over England, as their Six Nations rivals paid the price for their own indiscipline.

Aaron Hinkley and Manu Vunipola had both already been sin-binned before replacement hooker Alfie Barbeary was sent off for a dangerous tackle with just over 13 minutes remaining, meaning England played for more than half an hour with 14 men.

But that should not detract from an excellent performance from Ireland, who made light of their 11th-place seeding to come from behind three times, scoring 21 points in the final quarter to secure only a second U20 Championship win over their rivals.

England had made a lightning start, going in front via a Vunipola penalty before Ollie Sleightholme finished off a good team move to score the game’s first try in the right corner. Vunipola added the conversion to give his side a 10-0 lead with less than 10 minutes gone but Ireland reacted well to hit back within two minutes as Jake Flannery spotted a gap to score.

 

The fly-half converted his try but it was England who scored next as Vunipola returned from a head injury assessment to dissect the posts. Ireland’s misfortune was compounded as they lost Azur Allison to injury but with less than 14 minutes to go to half-time they took the lead thanks to some quick thinking from Stewart Moore.
The centre spotted Ollie Fox had rolled the ball back into the in-goal area at the breakdown and dove at it to touch down. Following consultation with TMO Santiago Borsani the try was awarded, and Flannery’s conversion gave the Irish a 14-13 lead.

It would remain that way at the break, although England trotted off with only 14 men after flanker Hinkley was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Angus Kernohan. Despite their numerical disadvantage it was England who struck first in the second period, retaking the lead with a Vunipola penalty before Sleightholme scored his second try.

 

Vunipola was then sin-binned for a high tackle on Iwan Hughes 10 minutes into the second half, a transgression that was immediately punished by David McCann’s converted score. However, England rallied immediately to edge into a five-point lead via a well-worked try that Tom Seabrook finished in the left corner.

Ireland, and McCann, struck again on the hour mark as momentum began to swing in their direction. Seven minutes later, Barbeary – only just on – lifted John Hodnett and gave referee Damon Murphy little choice but to issue a red card after consulting with the TMO. The Irish capitalised fully, scoring converted tries through Ben Healy and Hodnett to claim victory and deny England even a losing bonus point. 

 

Ireland captain Charlie Ryan said: “We’re going to enjoy it today, review it and look forward to Australia. I’m really proud of everyone today, they put in a huge shift.”

 

England captain Fraser Dingwall said: “We’re incredibly frustrated after that. I think after [half-time] we got the upper hand and we were hoping to take it away from them. Obviously today discipline is something that’s let us down, it has had a massive knock-on effect on the game. But it’s not the only area of the game that’s let us down.”

 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by OlympicIRL

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Day 1 at the Men's U20 World Championships

 

 

 

Pool C

 

South Africa 43 - 19 Scotland

 

The Junior Springboks got their tournament off to the ideal start with a comfortable 43-19 win over Scotland. The 2012 champions (winning the title on home turf) scored 6 tries en route to a bonus point win which leaves them in prime position to battle it out with New Zealand for top spot in the pool, or at worst, the consolation prize of a best runner-up finish.

Scotland however will see the Georgian match-up as their big test as it will be key in keeping them out of the releagation play-offs.

Scotland's best placing at the U20 World Championships came in 2017 where they finished a creditable 5th. South Africa on the otherhand has made it to the semi-finals in every edition bar one (they finished 5th in 2011) and will be looking to add a second title to go with the one they claimed on home turf in 2012.

 

 

Match Highlights:

https://www.world.rugby/u20/video/428865

 

 

 

Match Report courtesy of World Rugby.com

Spoiler

Despite missing his first two kicks at goal, scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse went on to play a starring role as South Africa got their campaign off to a winning start.

On his first appearance at this level, the 19-year-old scored two tries and created another as well as kicking nine points against a Scotland outfit that used their maul to good effect but lacked the precision in their kicking and attacking game to seriously trouble the 2012 champions.

Following Hendrikse’s ninth-minute penalty, Scotland bossed possession but got little change out of the Junior Springboks’ defence until prop Murphy Walker burrowed over from close range.

South Africa managed an immediate response, though, Hendrikse’s switch pass finding Francke Horn on the charge and he was unstoppable from 25 metres out. A carbon copy of the move looked certain to provide Horn with his second but the number eight was unable to take the pass cleanly on this occasion.

 

With South Africa winning the gain-line collisions and enjoying dominance in the scrum, Scotland remained under sustained pressure. A moment of individual class from James Mollentze led to South Africa’s second score, the fly-half scything through the defence before finding the irrepressible Hendrikse on his shoulder.

Unbowed, Scotland forced a penalty and after a series of collapsed mauls following the decision to kick for the corner instead of at goal – a theme throughout the match, Welsh referee Craig Evans awarded them a penalty try as well as sending second-row Emile van Heerden to the sin-bin.

Scotland failed to take advantage after the restart and it was the Junior Springboks, with seconds left on the card, who scored next, Rikus Pretorius and JJ van der Mescht combining well to set up Hendrikse for his second on 50 minutes.

 

When Cameron Anderson got on the end of Thompson’s slick cut-out pass and the fly-half converted, the deficit was down to three but any hope of a first tournament win against the South Africa at the fifth attempt was quashed by a two-try salvo in as many minutes, replacement Sanele Nohamba following Van der Mescht over the try-line.

There was still time for South Africa to demonstrate their offloading skills as Kudzwai Dube charged under the posts to finish off a slick handling move.

South Africa captain Phendulani Buthelezi: “We started off really well and put them under a lot of pressure, but we just couldn’t convert that into points in the first half. I was very happy with the way the boys bounced back in the second half. It got tough for us at times, especially with that yellow card, but I’m really proud of the character we showed towards the end.”

Scotland captain Connor Boyle: “Going into half-time, we thought we were right in it. Coming out for the second half we had four or five chances which we didn’t take. Games are won and lost on the flip of a coin and South Africa today were very accurate. We didn’t take our chances and just threw the ball away, and you can’t really do that at World Cups.” 

 

 

 

 

New Zealand 45 - 13 Georgia

 

 

6-time champions New Zealand got their 2019 campaign underway with a 7-try victory over Georgia.

However, it was a lot closer than many would have anticipated for a long period of the match with Georgia only trailing by 6 points after an early try in the second half by Vakhtang Jincharadze. New Zealand did kick on in the final 30 minutes, with the Junior Lelos tiring as the match went on.

But Georgia can be very pleased with their showing here which again underlines the progress they have made in recent years. Georgia won promotion to the elite tier of the U20 World Championships in 2016 and have established themselves at this level since, with 10th place finishes in 2016 and 2017 and a 9th place finish last year in France. Survival will again be the first aim for Georgia followed hopefully by what would be a first-ever top 8 finish. To do so, they will need to beat Scotland in their last pool game on June 12th.

New Zealand will be hoping to bounce back from their 4th place finish at last year's tournament and will be aiming to add a 7th title to the ones they claimed in (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2017). Like England and South Africa, only once did New Zealand fail to make it to the semi-finals - that was in 2016 when they finished 5th.

 

 

 

Match Highlights:

https://www.world.rugby/u20/video/428957

 

 

 

Match Report courtesy of World Rugby.com

Spoiler

New Zealand were given a slight scare by Georgia as they began their quest for a seventh World Rugby U20 Championship crown with a bonus-point 45-13 victory in Santa Fe.

A New Zealand win seemed in the balance when Vakhtang Jincharadze crossed the whitewash early in the second half to cut their lead to just 19-13. However, Georgia’s first ever try against New Zealand at this level merely shocked their opponents into life and they ran in four tries in the final half an hour to wrap up victory.

Georgia had lost the sides’ only previous U20 Championship meeting 55-0, in England in 2016, but started this match at the Club de Rugby Ateneo Inmaculada (CRAI)  in the ascendancy as a sixth-minute penalty allowed captain Tedo Abzhandadze to give his side an early lead. 

New Zealand were struggling to gain a foothold and their task looked to have been made harder in the ninth minute when Etene Nanai-Seturo was yellow-carded for a high tackle.

 

But it was New Zealand who crossed twice during the wing’s time off the pitch. Fly-half Rivez Reihana was the architect of the first as his kick-through was gathered by Quinn Tupaea and following several phases second-row Taine Plumtree cantered over.

Three minutes later, a flowing move ended with Cole Forbes and Leroy Carter combining to find Kohan Herbert on the right wing and the flanker produced a stunning finish. Georgia responded by mounting a sustained attack on the New Zealand line, but their defence crucially held firm before a second Abzhandadze penalty made the score 12-6.

New Zealand went into half-time 13 points up, though, after a multi-phase move created a gap in the Georgian defence that Dallas Mcleod exploited.

 

The Junior Lelos seemed unbowed and following a strong end to the first period they hit back with a try of their own less than four minutes into the second as Jincharadze peeled off a lineout drive to power over.

Any hopes of an opening day upset were put to bed in the final 30 minutes, though, as scrum-half Taufa Funaki came off the bench to spark the New Zealand attack into life. Leicester Fainga’anuku, Tupaea, George Dyer and Jeriah Mua all crossed to add some gloss to a hard-fought win. 

New Zealand captain Kianu Kereru-Symes said: “The boys played real well. We’re happy with how we played but there’s a lot to work on. We knew [Georgia] were going to bring it and they definitely did.”

Georgia captain Tedo Abzhandadze said: “We just played very well but we made a few mistakes in defence in the last 20 minutes, so that’s why we lost in this game. We are very disappointed but we are still working.”

 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by OlympicIRL

[Dragon 1,846]

Not a bad start to the tournament even if OlympicIRL and I may be a little biased...