Three-time World Rugby U20 Championship winners France will play England in the showpiece match on Friday, after beating New Zealand in an enthralling and high-scoring encounter to round off day four at DHL Stadium. Mark Mapletoft's men had earlier seen off the challenge of Ireland in a hard-fought game at the same venue.
New Zealand and last year's finalists Ireland will meet in the third-place play-off. Australia, meanwhile, overcame Wales to set up a fifth-place play-off against Argentina, who got the better of hosts South Africa. The two beaten sides will face off in the seventh-place play-off; Italy meet Georgia in the ninth-place play-off and Spain take on Fiji in the relegation play-off.
SEMI-FINAL: ENGLAND 31-20 IRELAND
England’s dominant forwards laid the foundations of a hard-fought victory as Mark Mapletoft’s side beat U20 Men's Six Nations rivals and 2023 finalists Ireland to book a place in Friday’s showpiece match.
It was Ireland who drew first blood, scrum-half Oliver Coffey going over after centre Wilhelm de Clerk had split the English defence wide open following a lineout in the opening minute of the game.
The two sides played out a dramatic 32-32 draw in the U20 Six Nations earlier this year, the Irish levelling with a converted try three minutes after the hooter – and they drew in the pool phase in South Africa last year.
A draw was not an option on Sunday in Cape Town. But another nip-tuck match was almost inevitable. After the early setback, England’s pack soon got on the front foot, piling the pressure time and again on a rapidly back-pedalling Irish scrum.
It took another 20 minutes, and some super phase play for England to break down Ireland’s obdurate defence. Hooker Craig Wright benefited as he stayed out wide to take the final pass after several phases.
Ollie Allen was on hand minutes later, scoring after Ioan Jones had scythed through Ireland’s defence to take England into the lead for the first time. But their advantage didn’t last, Bryn Ward using the cover of the posts to score after Ireland’s forwards had repeatedly battered at the line.
A helter-skelter first half ended with England again in front, Sean Kerr finishing a series of phases in the corner after a long pass from scrum-half Allen.
Scoring opportunities were few and far between in the second period, though the pace and intensity didn’t falter as three Kerr penalties – the last of them on the stroke of full-time – punished the Irish, as their scrum continued to struggle.
SEMI-FINAL: NEW ZEALAND 31-55 FRANCE
Back-row Mathis Castro-Ferreira scored a hat-trick as France beat New Zealand in an enthralling, end-to-end 12-try thriller to set up a final against U20 Men's Six Nations’ rivals England.
Joé Quere-Karaba burst from the back of a ruck for the game’s opener as Sebastien Calvet’s charges set about making amends for the one-point loss to New Zealand earlier in the tournament.
They had a second in the eighth minute. Hoani Bosmorin raced down fve-metre channel, and passed to his captain Hugo Reus. He, somehow, offloaded before being bundled into touch for Charly Gambini to score.
New Zealand dominated territory and possession all game, but Les Bleuets were devastating in attack and determined in defence.
And they were irrepressible even with a player down after Geoffrey Malaterre saw yellow for pulling down a maul near his own line, giving up a penalty try in the eighth minute. A break from Barnabe Massa in the 14th minute opened up New Zealand’s defence and Castro-Ferreira was over in the corner two passes later.
Dylan Pledger then scored the match’s fifth try, just 17 minutes in, sheer pace putting him clear off the back of a ruck.
Reus’ inch-perfect width-of-the-field kick gave Castro-Ferreira his second 10 minutes later, and France’s captain added two more penalties to his four first-half conversions to give his side a 20-point lead at the break.
They extended it five minutes into the second period, as Castro-Ferreira flopped over for his third, to complete a lung-busting period of pressure.
Both sides were reduced to 14 in the 50th minute. Stanley Solomon’s yellow for a high tackle was later upgraded to red, leaving them a player short for 20 minutes under World Rugby’s law trials, and Lorencio Boyer Gallardo was sin-binned.
New Zealand gave themselves hope with three tries in their 20 minutes of numerical inferiority. King Maxwell got their first, Aki Tuivailala raced in just before the hour, and Andrew Smith crashed over with three minutes remaining on the 20-minute red card clock.
But they could not stop France scoring. Quere-Karaba’s interception released full-back Mathis Ferté to race under the posts. And another Reus cross-field kick fell into the arms of Xan Mousques with nine minutes remaining to take France past 50 points and into the final.
FIFTH-PLACE SEMI-FINAL: SOUTH AFRICA 24-34 ARGENTINA
Argentina will challenge for fifth on the final day of the U20 Championship on Friday, after recording a second tournament win over hosts South Africa in a momentum-swinging match at DHL Stadium.
The crucial moment came late in the first half, when Argentinian winger Gregorio Perez Pardo scooped up a loose ball to score, after a sweeping object lesson in unstructured rugby that had started 60m downfield, and a dozen passes earlier, with full-back Benjamin Elizalde collecting a grubber from South Africa’s centre Jurenzo Julius.
That breath-taking score gave the South Americans – ninth here in 2023 – a 14-point cushion at the end of an opening period in which the balance of power switched hands more than once.
Hooker Juan Greising Revol scored twice when the two sides met at a rain-sodden Stellenbosch earlier in the competition – a match Argentina won 31-12 to record only their third U20 win over South Africa. He did it again to open the scoring here, after 20 minutes, bursting off the back of a dominant maul.
And when captain Efrain Elias strolled through a wide channel one gap four minutes later, it looked like another comfortable win was on the cards.
But South Africa had other ideas. Julius took an inside ball one-handed low and to his right, and danced through the defence to get the hosts back into the game.
Suddenly, the hosts had the wind at their backs. Their pack had the upper hand, a reversal of fortunes from the teams’ earlier match – until Perez Pardo’s score.
Backrow Sibabalwe Mahashe got them going again early in the second half, as a South Africa maul splintered the Argentinian defence, and it seemed a comeback was possible. Zachary Porthen crashed over shortly after the hour-mark, but was held up, the referee ruled, as the hosts – who finished third in 2023 – looked to close the gap.
Minutes later, however, Timoteo Silva finished off a well-worked series of phases – despite flirting dangerously with the touchline – to extend Argentina’s lead again with 14 minutes left on the clock.
It was more than enough, despite another tackle-breaking score from the ever-impressive Julius three minutes from time.
FIFTH-PLACE SEMI-FINAL: AUSTRALIA 36-29 WALES
Macs Page’s hat-trick was not enough for Wales as Australia held firm to join Argentina in the fifth-place play-off.
Despite spending the opening exchanges in their half, the Welsh scored first. A powerful maul drove over from 15m out, with hooker Isaac Young claiming the try.
Australia responded quickly, motoring over the Welsh pack at a scrum. Harvey Cordukes got the touchdown, and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips’ converted, to give them a 7-5 lead.
But Wales’ determined efforts in defence were rewarded as a brilliant chargedown from Page inside in his 22 bounced into his arms. The centre raced away to retake the lead.
The Junior Wallabies finally capitalised on their dominance, as Kadin Pritchard ran a brilliant line to dot down from a solid scrum, after Morgan Morse was sent to the bin following one Welsh infringement too many for the referee.
Another monstrous scrum from gave them another platform a few minutes later, as they turned over Welsh ball and shipped it out to winger Archer Saunders, who crossed for their third try of the first half.
Australia continued to dominate after the break. McLaughlin-Phillips burst through three Welsh defenders and found captain Toby Macpherson on a great line, with the second-row crossing to extend their lead.
Wales then launched an attack of their own as centre Page got them within inches of Australia’s line. The Welsh recycled possession and found winger Kodi Stone with a cross-field kick. He offloaded to Matty Young, who scored in the corner.
Australia were not done with the scoring yet and fired the crucial blow after a sensational grab from Leahy allowed Shane Wilcox to break. Dan Nelson was on hand to score untouched.
Wales once again did not go down quietly and added to their tally moments later as Harri Ford found Page with a cross-field kick for his second. He completed his hat-trick moments later, finishing off after a sensational break from Louis Hennessy.
NINTH-PLACE SEMI-FINAL: ITALY 28-15 SPAIN
Italy overcame a dogged Spain to guarantee their presence in the World Rugby U20 Championship for another year.
First-half tries from Giacomo Milano and Marco Scalabrin laid the platform, but Italy were made to work by the spirited Spaniards at Danie Craven Stadium.
Spain showed remarkable resilience to keep the Italians at bay for long periods and scored one of the tries of the tournament through Alberto Carmona’s exhilarating first-half touchdown.
But Italy’s third score came after the break with a penalty try and, although the tenacious Spaniards replied again through the outstanding Hugo Gonzalez, they could not avoid a fourth straight loss in South Africa.
After defeats to Wales, New Zealand, France and now Italy, it has proved a huge baptism of fire for Spain following their promotion as World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 champions.
Italy led in the eighth minute after a spell of pressure which covered 10 phases and culminated in flanker Milano ploughing over under the posts.
Spain counterpart Jokin Zolezzi was sin-binned for an infringement and Italy were denied a second try midway through the first half.
Scrum-half Lorenzo Casilio took a quick penalty tap and dived under the posts but the TMO deemed he had not grounded the ball and no try was awarded.
Spain’s defensive efforts were rewarded in the 32nd minute when they scored a brilliant try. From a lineout on the left flank, they worked the ball to the right channel where Luciano Richardis found Julien Burguillos and his deft offload ushered Carmona over the line.
Gonzalo Otamendi could not convert – and on the stroke of half-time Italy scored again when Scalabrin touched down in the right corner from a scrum.
Early in the second half, Italy were awarded a penalty try and Spain’s Aniol Franch was sin-binned. But soon after Gonzalez arrived at pace to cross the line for Spain’s second to cap a fine display in the front row. Otamendi converted before adding a penalty to make it 19-15.
Italy were afforded some breathing space in the final quarter, though, as Simone Brisighella kicked three penalties to put the result beyond doubt.
NINTH-PLACE SEMI FINAL: GEORGIA 40-36 FIJI
Georgia beat Fiji in a thrilling try-fest in the second of the ninth-placed semi-finals to set up a meeting with U20 Men's Six Nations side Italy on Friday.
The Fijians heartbreakingly slipped to their fourth straight defeat but fashioned six scintillating tries – including four from their own half – to take the game right to the death.
Speedy winger Aisea Nawai claimed a hat-trick but Georgia, outscored six tries to five, prevailed thanks to 15 points from the boot of fly-half Luka Tsirekidze.
Georgia had Davit Lagvilava sin-binned for a high tackle on Ratu Isikeli Rabitu before two early penalties from Tsirekidze put them 6-0 ahead.
Fiji hit back to lead with a converted try from Ponipate Tuberi in the 21st minute.
A stunning Fiji move from inside their own half culminated in Harrison Valevatu’s audacious offload sending centre partner Tuberi over the line.
Isikeli Basiyalo converted before Mikheil Khakhubia’s powered over the line for Georgia from a driving maul.
As half-time approached, Luka Nasau was sin-binned for infringing at a scrum and Georgia winger Tarieli Burtikashvili touched down shortly after in the left corner.
Yet Fiji scored another exquisite try before the break when more delightful handling led to Nawai diving over in the right corner.
That left Georgia with a 21-12 interval lead but in the 48th minute, Georgia lost flanker Andro Dvali to the sin bin following a lapse in discipline.
Despite being a player down, the Georgians scored their third try five minutes later when Giorgi Gergedava touched down from close range.
But in the 55th minute, Waisake Salabiau arrived at pace to score in the left corner after another fine handling move from the Fijians.
As the hour approached, Nawai dived over in the right corner for his second – but Georgia quickly replied through Nika Lomidze.
Avakuki Niusalelekitoga hit back with Fiji's fifth try, but Luka Keshelava went over for Georgia with 10 minutes remaining.
Nawai then completed his treble and Tuberi converted but Georgia held on.
