Hosts Scotland and USA will contest the World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024 final on Wednesday, 17 July after wins over Japan and Kenya took them to within touching distance of a return to the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2025.
USA were the first to confirm their place in the title decider after beating Kenya 30-17 in the second match of the day at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh on Friday to finish top of Pool B.
They had to wait until the final match of the day to learn their opponents when Scotland met Japan in the Pool A decider.
It had been billed as a contest between the speed and slick handling of Japan against the strength and power of Scotland, but it proved to be a one-sided affair with the hosts nullifying Japan's dangerous back three to secure a dominant 46-10 victory.
Japan will now face Uruguay in the third place play-off after Los Teritos overcame the Netherlands 32-16 in their Pool B encounter.
The Netherlands will meet Samoa in the battle for fifth place after the Pacific Islanders overcame Hong Kong China 39-19 for their first victory of the tournament. Hong Kong China and Kenya will contest seventh place in the opening game on Wednesday.
POOL A: SAMOA 39-19 HONG KONG CHINA
After both teams came out on the wrong side of one-sided scorelines in their matches against Scotland and Japan, this proved to be a much more competitive affair.
Samoa held a slender 17-12 lead at half-time after right winger Taitaifono Tavita got them off to a flying start with a try in the second minute.
However, Hong Kong China hit back and used their dominant lineout drive to score one try and set up another.
Hooker Ben Sheldon took the direct route to score their first from the back of the maul, and when the next one became stationary, Hong Kong China moved the ball into midfield where Marcus D'Acre stepped under the posts.
Now trailing 12-10, Samoa wasted no time in restoring their advantage, impressive number eight Benjamin Faavae powering over from a pick-and-go, Panua Nuilevaea adding the extras.
Samoa played out the last eight minutes of the half with 14 men after losing tight-head Alauni Fatu to the sin-bin for a reckless late challenge, but came through the period with their 17-12 lead intact.
It was Hong Kong China, however, who seized the initiative at the start of the second half when winger Matthew Rickard went over in the left-hand corner moments after he'd had a try disallowed.
All the momentum was with Hong Kong China as they sensed an opportunity to end an 11-match losing run in the competition. But the game turned on its head when winger Panaua Niulevaea intercepted Blake Elliot's pass and raced home from 70 metres.
When Tavita chipped the ball over the top and it bounced kindly for him to regather and score his second try, the game looked up for Hong Kong China. Any lingering doubt about the outcome was erased when Niulevaea kicked a penalty and then picked off another telegraphed pass to score his second.
Niulevaea kicked his fourth conversion to take his overall tally to 21 points in a 39-19 win that felt closer than the scoreline suggests.
POOL A: SCOTLAND 46-10 JAPAN
Scotland are 80 minutes away from returning to the World Rugby U20 Championship after booking their place in the U20 Trophy final against the USA with a thumping six-try victory over Japan.
Both sides had breezed through their first two Pool A games at a canter, establishing records along the way, but it was the hosts who proved their class on home soil at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.
Japan will now face Uruguay in the third place play-off after being ruthlessly dismantled by a vibrant Scotland outfit.
The Scots dominated this top-of-the-table tussle with a first-half double from winger Geordie Gwynn – his first tries of the tournament – giving his side a 12-0 advantage at the break.
Kenny Murray’s men rammed home their superiority after the interval with further scores from the prolific Finlay Doyle, influential fly-half Andrew McLean, flanker Freddy Douglas and replacement Jack Hocking.
After an attritional opening, Scotland led inside the eighth minute after an outstanding break on halfway from McLean. He found Gwynn in support and the winger raced clear to score inside the right channel for a try which McLean converted to make it 7-0.
Chances grew scarce thereafter but Scotland scored again in the 25th minute when some neat handling culminated in Gwynn weaving his way through a leaden-footed Japan defence with a brilliant burst of pace.
Four minutes after the break, Scotland fashioned a scintillating move which saw them move the ball across the face of the Japan defence to the right channel. Gwynn burst clear and might have scored himself but he unselfishly provided a deft offload to usher Doyle over in the corner.
In the 49th minute, McLean then belied his small frame to show impressive strength to cross the line for a try which he converted. Douglas went over soon after before Japan lost flanker Koki Kawagoe to a yellow card in the 55th minute.
The hugely influential McLean and Tom Currie then added penalties before the Japanese claimed a consolation try when replacement Tasuku Masuyama went over for an unconverted score.
There were still time for Japan to score again through flanker Shushi Kamei, but this was Scotland’s night and Hocking touched down in the last minute to cap a superb night's work.
POOL B: KENYA 17-30 USA
USA are one win away from securing a return to the World Rugby U20 Championship for the first time since 2013 after booking their place in Wednesday's World Rugby U20 Trophy final.
This was the first time the sides had played each other at the U20 Trophy since the second edition of the age-grade tournament in 2009, which Kenya's Chipu won 33-32.
And the rematch, some 15 years later, started every bit as tight with neither side able to register any points in the first 15 minutes.
Kenya had a couple of breakaway attacks ruined by handling errors, while Oliver Cline spurned a chance to get USA on the scoreboard as his penalty attempt sailed wide of the posts.
The first score of the match was worth the wait, however. With 16 minutes on the clock, tight-head Luke Schaefer burst down the middle to get USA on the front foot and quick ball and quick hands from Raymond Hahn put Keelan Farrell on a run to the line. Farrell was stopped just short but Max Threlkeld was up in support to pick up the ball at the base of the ruck and dive over for the opening try.
Cline missed the conversion and another penalty attempt and eventually handed over the goal-kicking duties to left-footed centre Tito Edjua, who was successful with his second attempt at goal.
With two attacking lineouts also going horribly wrong in the middle period of the half, USA had wasted a lot of scoring opportunities. By contrast, Kenya took the first points on offer to them, kicking a penalty in the 36th minute after their pack had pushed the Americans backwards.
Kicking in the direction of the adjacent Murrayfield Stadium, Edjua slotted a 38-metre penalty through the poles to give USA the first points of the second half before Schaefer plunged over from close range. Once again, Edjua was accurate from the tee to add the two extra points and make the score 18-3.
By now, USA were firmly on top and scrum-half Solomon Williams' decision to probe the blindside at a ruck close to the Kenya line paid dividends with Farrell getting a deserved try and Edjua confidently converting.
As play entered the final quarter Rand Santos finished off hard work from the forwards for the try bonus point, and it looked like USA would win at a canter.
But a brilliant run to the line by Samuel Otete sparked the Chipu into life and the left wing was involved in their next try two minutes later, with his kick ahead grounded by replacement Daniel Bett.
Kenya looked like a side transformed but with two converted tries still between the teams, the clock was against them and the USA could eventually breathe a sigh of relief.
POOL B: URUGUAY 32-16 NETHERLANDS
Uruguay ultimately proved too strong for the Netherlands in an entertaining Pool B encounter to finish second behind USA and clinch a third place play-off against either Scotland or Japan.
The Dutch have enjoyed a fine debut in this year’s tournament and they led 10-3 at the break at a sun-kissed Hive Stadium in Edinburgh in the first-ever meeting between the sides.
But two scores shortly after the interval turned the match in the favour of Los Teritos – last year’s beaten finalists – and they did not look back during a one-sided second half which harvested four tries in total.
Uruguay now await the loser of Scotland and Japan, while defeat for the Netherlands sees them take on Samoa in the fifth place play-off on Wednesday.
A penalty from fly-half Francisco Landauer put Uruguay ahead early on before the Netherlands replied in the 15th minute when second-row Teun Karst, who has impressed throughout the tournament, pirouetted his way over from five metres out.
Full-back Ilan Vaasen converted and then kicked a penalty to extend his side’s lead to 10-3.
Right on the stroke of half-time, however, the Netherlands’ replacement hooker Tom van Ooijen was sin-binned for leading with an arm.
And three minutes into the second half Uruguay made their man advantage count when centre Santiago Gini hacked the ball forward and livewire scrum-half Pedro Hoblog reacted quickest to scamper under the posts for a try which Landauer converted to level matters at 10-10.
In the 50th minute, Uruguay edged back in front when Landauer showed some delightful footwork to scamper through the Dutch defence inside the left channel.
The fly-half converted his own try to make it 17-10 and seven minutes later Uruguay captain Franco Bertini squeezed over from close range and Landauer converted to make it 24-10.
Vaasen kicked a penalty on the hour for the Netherlands to cut Uruguay’s lead to 11 points but in the 63rd minute Uruguay’s class told as centre Augusto Flangini’s mesmerising movement took him through the Dutch defence to make it 29-13.
Vaasen and Landauer exchanged penalties before the Netherlands had number eight Mart van der Veen sinbinned for ill discipline in the closing stages.
