World Rugby U20 Championship 2023 Round 1

France ran a 11-try riot as they went on to trounce Japan with a dominating victory in the opening day of the World Rugby U20 Championship at Danie Craven Stadium in South Africa.

Argentina, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa also started their campaigns with a victory while England and Ireland settled for a draw.

Pool A:

France 75-12 Japan

France, the winners of the 2018 and 2019 tournaments started the game briskly with Nicolas Depoortere diving under the posts while Hugo Reus, Marko Gazzotti and Noa Zinzen followed the suits as they raced to a 28-0 lead by the end of the opening quarter. Kosho Muto darted under the posts for the first response from Japan before Esteban Capilla was on Depoortere’s shoulder as the centre charged parallel to the touchline to make it 35-7.

Yellow cards to Nicolas Depoortere and Capilla did not stop France's momentum as they scored their sixth try in the opening half through Marko Gazzotti to end the opening half with a 42-7 lead. Mathis Ferte touched down two minutes into the second half, even with two players still counting down their sin-bins Depoortere added his second seven minutes later, replacement scrum-half Léo Carbonneau finished another fast-flowing move with nine minutes remaining with time still for Brent Liufau to profit from hooker Barnabé Massa’s power and Massy back-row Andy Timo showed winger’s pace to race in from 70 metres for the last try of the match..

Wales 26-27 New Zealand

New Zealand managed to hold off a late fight from Wales as they sealed a one-point victory in the opening round of the competition. The Junior All Blacks kick started the game with an early try from right-wing Caleb Tangitau but tries from Lewis Lloyd, Dan Edwards and Morgan Morse ensured Wales raced to the break with a 19-5 lead.

New Zealand showed better intent at the start of the second half with tries from Macca Springer and Sam Hainsworth-Fa'aofo helped them lnarrow down the gap before Harry Godfrey put them into the lead with a penalty goal. A pin point kick from Taha Kemara allowed New Zealand to complete their fourth try making it 17-27. The final three minutes saw New Zealand lose Gabe Robinson to yellow card and Sam Scarfe dotted down for Wales but it did not prove enough as they lost the encounter by one point.

Pool B:

Australia 46-37 Fiji

Two tries in three late second-half minutes from full-back Mason Gordon and winger Darby Lancaster as a determined Fiji tired handed Australia a hard-fought opening win in an enthralling, momentum-shifting match at Danie Craven Stadium. Isaiah Ravula kicked a penalty goal to start the proceedings for Fiji following which Liam Bowron and Epeli Waqaicece traded tries to make it 7-10. The 17th minute saw Fiji lose Tupeni Waqalala to yellow card and Australia made full use of the numerical advantage with tries from Nick Bloomfield, Darby Lancaster and David Vaihu steering them to a 24-13 lead. Nevertheless, Motikiai Murray's try at the stroke of the break ensured Fiji brought the gap down to three points at the end of the opening half.

Fiji responded immediately. Bronson Lee leapt highest to take the restart and – a couple of phases later – Waqa Nalaga scored following Isaiah Ravula’s insouciant pass.Vaihu again provided a vital link early in the second half, supplying the crucial final pass for Ronan Leahy to score in the corner to give Australia a 29-20 lead. However, Fiji came back quickly. The ever-dangerous Murray charged to within five metres of the line, before Ratu Kavaia Tagivetaua crashed over after a series of Fijian pick-and-drives.

With a player advantage, Timoci Nakalevu crashed over to give Fiji a five-point lead, extended to eight after Ravula kicked a penalty. But the Fijians had started to tire, which proved crucial in the final reckoning, as Gordon and Lancaster made the difference.

England 34-34 Ireland

Ireland survived a red card to Hugh Cooney in the closing stage as they sealed a 34-34 draw in their opening clash of the tournament. Tries from Sam Prendergast, George Hadden and James McNabney propelled Ireland to 15 points in the opening half but Asher Opoku-Fordjour went over for England as they trailed by five points.

Ireland lost Diarmuid Mangan to the sin-bin for illegally slowing play down at the ruck early in the second half resulting in a penalty try for England and Jacob Cusick followed the suits to make it 24-15. Ireland came back with tries to Ruadhan Quinn and Henry McErlean, the latter while Greg Fisilau was in the sin-bin. John Devine then combined with his centre partner Hugh Cooney and with Prendergast converting the try, Ireland had a double-figure lead with 15 minutes remaining.

With Jacob Cusick diving in the corner and Slevin kicking a penalty and a conversion on either side helped England levelled the scores and it remained 34-34 for the remainder of the game despite Cooney's red card for Ireland.

Pool C:

Argentina 43-15 Italy

Giovanni Sante kicked a penalty goal early in the second half but Destiny Aminu was sent off for a dangerous tackle as they were down to 14 players. Despite being down on the numerical advantage with Dewi Passarella touching down to make it 0-10 but tries from Juan Baronio, Eliseo Chiavassa and Mateo Soler ensured Argentina finished the opening half to make it 21-10.

Argentina extended the momentum into the second half with Efrain Elias dotting down to extend their lead to 28-10 with further tries from Valentino Minoyetti and Benjamin Elizalde to seal a 43-15 victory.

South Africa 33-23 Georgia

South Africa were made to work hard at their familiar home venue as they sealed a 33-23 victory in their opening game of the competition. Katlego Letebele dived under the posts in the sixth minute with Jean Smith kicking a conversion and a penalty goal to race to a 10-0 lead. With Lasha Tsikhistavi and Jurenzo Julius trading tries South Africa ended the opening half with a 20-7 lead.

Khutsishvili struck with a penalty early in the second half and Georgia’s confidence grew as they successfully disrupted South Africa’s scrum. A series of penalties allowed Georgia to build the pressure which told when centre Tornike Kakhoidze opened up the home defence to set up winger Luka Tsirekidze. Khutsishvili was off target with the conversion but he made no mistake with a penalty five minutes later when South Africa openside flanker Ghudian van Reenen was yellow carded for cumulative team offences. Jean Smith kicked two penalties before Ethan Hooker touchdown to make it 33-18. Georgia had the last word when replacement hooker Nika Babunashvili went over from a lineout but it was too late to deny South Africa.