Southern hemisphere heavyweights to contest World Rugby U20s final

South Africa broke their semi-final curse with a 48-24 victory against Argentina in Viadana on Monday evening to set up a repeat of the 2012 U20 Championship final against New Zealand.

The Junior Springboks had lost 10 previous semi-final appearances, but they got off to a flyer against Los Pumitas, who couldn’t live with the pace of the Junior Springboks in the opening half an hour.

The tournament’s outstanding individual, South African scrum-half Hassiem Pead, created the first try for Albertus Bester before crossing himself after finishing off a brilliant break from No.8 Wandile Mlaba.

Argentina responded with a penalty from the boot of Rafael Benedit, but before too long, the electric Jaco Williams raced home for the Junior Springboks’ third try after a kick ahead was allowed to bounce by the Argentine defence and the winger seized his opportunity.

South Africa’s decision to kick for the corner was then rewarded with a close-range try for JJ Theron. With Vusi Moyo converting for a fourth time, South Africa went into the water break leading 28-3. At this point, the shell-shocked Los Pumitas could have probably done with something stronger.

A couple of lost lineouts disrupted South Africa’s rhythm once play restarted, and after weathering 10 minutes of pressure, the Junior Springboks’ defence finally cracked as Lous Pumitas used their most potent weapon – the driving maul – to set up a try for No.8 Agustín Garcia Campos Fiszman. The try came just after South African prop Simphiwe Ngobese had been sent to the sin-bin.

Plagued by a rising penalty count, South Africa struggled to reassert their dominance and the score remained at 28-10 in their favour with half an hour to play. At this point, they opted to introduce the apprentice ‘bomb squad’, replacing five forwards in one go.

Credit to Argentina, they were next to strike, thanks to a brilliant finish in the corner by Timoteo Silva, which Benedit again converted.

The concession of a second try sparked South Africa into life, and it was telling how much the momentum of the game had changed when Moyo stepped up to kick two penalties rather than go for the corner.

As the hour mark approached, South Africa had calmed things down and then regained full control of the scoreboard when Bester took the score out to 41-17 with his second try, and Moyo’s conversion, after combining with centre partner Demitre Erasmus.

The Junior Springboks then dealt with Argentina’s route one approach to protect their 24-point cushion, despite losing a second prop, Oliver Reid, to the sin-bin. However, the never-say-die South Americans kept going and a late try for Ramon Fernandez Miranda was the least their efforts deserved.

Fittingly, though, it was one of South Africa’s outside backs who had the final word, Cheswill Jooste showing great footwork and pace to goosestep his way to the line.

Through to only their third final, the current crop of budding Springboks will now be looking to emulate RWC winners Handre Pollard, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Steven Kitshoff, who lifted the 2012 trophy after a 22-16 win in the final over New Zealand.

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In a fiercely contested first semi-final between teams boasting nine U20 titles between them, six-time winners New Zealand had to defend with all their might against a physically imposing France outfit.

Both teams scored four tries apiece, but crucially, Rico Simpson kicked all four of his conversion attempts as well as two penalties as New Zealand prevailed despite losing two men to the sin-bin on either side of the hour mark.

France had the territorial advantage and gave it their all, but New Zealand were exceptionally clinical in finishing off opportunities, coming away from the French 22 with an average of 5.6 points from each of their six visits for a 34-26 win.

Stanley Solomon, Mosese Bason and Jack Wiseman crossed for New Zealand in the first half before Aisake Vakasiuola added a fourth with 12 minutes to go, as the Baby All Blacks ended an eight-year wait to play in the U20 Championship’s showpiece match.

France’s tries came from Kalvin Gourgues, Baptiste Britz, Fabien Brau-Boirie and Jon Echegaray, but for the first time in five years, they have missed out on the final.

England came through a sticky start and a sending off against Wales to book their place in the fifth-place final.

Mark Mapletoft’s team played for 14 men from the 22nd minute, when Ollie Streeter was dismissed, but eased home 51-13.

Having failed to make the semi-finals for only the third time in the tournament’s history, England will be looking to sign off on a high with a second win against Australia, whom they dramatically beat 36-33 in the pool stages

Wales and hosts Italy will contest the seventh-place play-off, with the Azzurrini still in with a chance of their best-ever U20 Championship finish.

No.8 Mikheili Shioshvili scored a hat-trick of tries as Georgia beat Spain 43-12. The Junior Lelos will now play Scotland in the ninth-place final. Jake Shearer’s last-gasp try had seen Scotland end their nine-game losing streak in the U20 Championship in dramatic fashion against Ireland.

Scotland had held a 17-7 half-time lead, but Ireland stormed back and looked to have won the match until replacement tight-head Shearer crashed over with 42 seconds remaining to snatch victory, 22-21.

Finals Day fixtures, Saturday 19 July

11th-place play-off: Spain vs Ireland, Stadio San Michele, Calvisano, kick-off 14:30
7th-place play-off: Italy vs Wales, Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo, kick-off 14:30
3rd-place play-off: France vs Argentina, Stadio San Michele, Calvisano, kick-off 17:00
5th-place play-off: Australia vs England, Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo, kick-off 17:00
9th-place play-off: Georgia vs Scotland, Stadio San Michele, Calvisano, kick-off 19:30
Final: New Zealand vs South Africa, Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo, kick-off 19:30

*All KO times BST