Champions England bounced back in dominant style, while South Africa demolished Australia, and Argentina sealed a dramatic comeback in a thrilling opening night.
Round One of the World Rugby U20 Championship saw fireworks across all pools. England eased past Scotland, South Africa dismantled Australia, and France overpowered Spain.
Elsewhere, Ireland fought through Georgia, Argentina edged Wales, and New Zealand weathered a strong Italian challenge.
Australia 17–73 South Africa
South Africa demolished Australia with relentless forward power bolstered by sparkling backline pace, running in eleven tries overall.
Scrum-half Hassiem Pead opened the scoring with a length-of-field effort inside six minutes, setting the tone for the Junior Boks’ dominance.
Wings Siyabonga Ndlozi found two finishes before halftime, showcasing wide flair alongside midfield dynamism and lethal attacking precision.
Fullback Vusi Moyo linked superbly to unlock space, combining well with forwards and providing options at pace and width.
Despite the 73-17 scoreline, captain Riley Norton admitted faults remain and emphasised the need for consistency heading into tougher match-ups.
England 56–19 Scotland
England unleashed their potent backline and dominated through wingers Jack Bracken and Tyler Offiah, scoring five first-half tries to lead 42-12.
England packed clinical finishing into dynamic backline play, but struggled for precision after halftime, waiting until the 72nd minute to add another try. Kane James carried hard all day, cutting through Scotland’s defence to score twice before the break and anchor that early surge.
Fullback Josh Bellamy eventually finished a neat cut-out pass in the 72nd minute, highlighting England’s potential flakiness out wide. Scotland earned respect for earnest defence, but their first-half capitulation exposed a gulf in class when facing England’s intensity.
France 49–11 Spain
France overpowered Spain through formidable forward play, scoring five of their seven tries from close quarters near the goal line.
Number eight Mathis Baret crossed twice, once early and once late in the second half, demonstrating France’s bench strength. Spain’s fly-half Gonzalo Otamendi converted two long-range penalties early on, keeping them competitive before tiring under physical pressure.
France conceded ten penalties and lost fifty per cent of possession, reminding their coaching staff that there is room to tighten discipline. Captain Corentin Mezou praised team unity and spirited injury-time scores, but acknowledged the upcoming match against Wales will demand sharper execution.
Ireland 35–28 Georgia
Ireland overcame a troubled performance riddled with 17 penalties, thanks to two fast starts which asserted early scoreboard control.
Winger Paidi Farrell scored immediately from both kick-offs, giving Ireland vital confidence and early territory management to force errors. Georgia produced brave pressure after each restart, earning territory and possession but failing to convert chances into points.
Recharge creativity allowed scrumhalf Giorgi Spanderashvili to cross twice, showcasing the Georgian threat in tight phases and broken-field scenarios.
Ireland captain Eanna McCarthy expressed relief after a gritty performance, whilst warning that Georgia’s physicality remains an ongoing threat.
Argentina 34–27 Wales
Argentina stormed back from a 24–7 deficit to shock Wales in Verona, claiming a memorable drama-tinged win late.
Wales opened strongly with a penalty try and back-to-back scores by Emanuel and Minto, but fell victim to a momentum shift. Tomas Rapetti and Timoteo Silva struck swiftly to narrow the gap and turn pressure toward Wales in the final quarter.
Prop Rapetti scored again in the 75th minute, his close-quarter surge tipping the balance in Argentina’s favour via sheer forward grit. Wales captain Harry Beddall lamented Wales’ fade after the initial blitz, planning to regroup and rectify errors ahead of the next test.
New Zealand 14–5 Italy
Junior All Blacks overcame tenacious Italy in a scrappy, penalty-heavy match displayed in Verona’s damp evening conditions. Tries from Dylan Pledger and Manu Letiu, one before and one after the halftime break, proved enough to beat the hosts’ physical play.
Italy laid siege on New Zealand’s line throughout the first half, yet bloodied bodies and missed opportunities ultimately told in the final score. Italy’s Niccolo Beni grabbed a consolation try early in the second half, showing promise for future contests against top-tier nations.
New Zealand captain Letiu praised his side’s discipline under pressure and promised improvements, signalling a serious mindset heading forward.
All To Play For As Round Two Of World Rugby U20 Championship Nears
Round 2 of the World Rugby U20 Championship takes place on Thursday, 4 July, with another full slate of fixtures across all three pools.
Key matchups include England vs South Africa in a potential Pool A decider, France vs Wales in Pool B, and Argentina vs Spain in Pool C.
With knockout hopes on the line, teams will be eager to build on or bounce back from their opening performances.
As anticipation builds, so does interest in online sports betting, with punters analysing every angle. Make sure you place your bets before the next round.
