GEORGIA 56-3 URUGUAY: Narsia at the treble as Junior Lelos set up Italy showdown after emphatic win over Uruguay
Tournament hosts Georgia picked up their first win at the third attempt to the delight of a raucous home crowd who defied the rain-soaked conditions at Avchala Stadium.
The Junior Lelos had been dramatically edged out 25-24 by Wales in their opening game before losing to defending champions South Africa last Thursday.
This, though, was a victory to savour for Georgia’s players who will head to Kutaisi to face Italy on Monday, a day after Uruguay faces Spain.
The sides had last met in the pool stage of the sister World Rugby Junior Trophy in 2015, with Georgia winning 46-12 en route to claiming the title and their place in the Junior World Championship. They were similarly emphatic winners on Wednesday, with early tries from prop Gabriel Razmadze, scrumhalf Temuri Dzodzuashvili, and wing Luka Tabatadze putting them in total control.
Captain Luka Narsia, one of several Georgia players to catch the eye, then touched down to secure the bonus point on the stroke of half-time.
The highly-rated openside flank then completed his brace with another try shortly after the interval before registering his hat-trick score late on after team-mates Saba Nozadze and Data Akhvlediani had also got on the scoresheet.
POOL B
NEW ZEALAND 45-15 ITALY: New Zealand shows class to book semi-final showdown with France
New Zealand hasn’t lifted the Junior World Championship trophy since 2017, but they reached their 13th semi-final in 16 tournaments with a comfortable win over Italy.
Victory over a spirited Azzurrini at AIA Arena in Kutaisi ensured Kane Jury‘s much-changed side topped Pool B to set up a last-four battle against Les Bleuets.
New Zealand had the bonus point in the bag by half-time after tries from Bradley Tocker, David Lewai, captain Josh Findlay, and Charlie Sinton before Lautasi Etuale, Cohen Norrie, and Siale Pahulu added second-half scores.
It said much for New Zealand’s quality that they were able to take almost total control despite not always hitting top gear, and after being forced into changes before kick-off.
After Mika Muliaina was ruled out, Norrie replaced him at fly-half, Logan Williams moved to fullback, and Etuale was promoted from the bench to a starting spot on the left wing.
Italy proved to be spirited opponents and led through centre Giacomo Falchetto, but second-row Simone Fardin was shown a yellow card, and New Zealand took total control.
Tocker and Lewai touched down and, although number eight Enoch Opoku Gyamfi powered over for a second Italy try, New Zealand scored twice more before the break through Findlay and Sinton.
Etuale, Norrie, and Pahulu added to New Zealand’s try tally before David Luisato scored a consolation try for Italy, who will next take on Georgia in Kutaisi.
SCOTLAND 43-32 JAPAN: Scotland takes second spot to tee up Argentina showdown
Scotland finished as the runner-up in Pool B following a highly entertaining victory over Japan at AIA Arena in Kutaisi.
Fergus Pringle‘s side knew their semi-final hopes had ended after New Zealand’s defeat of Italy in the day’s opening match, but their success over a feisty Japanese outfit marked their second win from three games after victory over Italy in round one.
Scotland, who will next face Los Pumitas, were rewarded for their early adventure by running in three tries inside the opening quarter through Matthew Fick, Daniel Kelly, and Ollie Blyth-Lafferty.
Japan hit back through Koshi Tsumara before a try from hooker Joe Roberts – his third of the tournament – gave Scotland a bonus-point score shortly after the half-hour mark.
Sota Miura replied for Japan to leave the score finely poised at 26-15 in Scotland’s favour at the break.
Despite Shinnosuke Uchida and Isa Fukada touching down on either side of the hour mark, Scotland ran in three second-half tries through Jamie McAughtrie, Alex Bryden, and Jake Dalziel to take the win.
Scotland will next take on in Tbilisi on Sunday, while Japan remains in Tbilisi to face the USA on the same day.
POOL C
IRELAND 73-22 USA: Ireland romps to an emphatic win to end the pool stage on a high note
Charlie O’Shea and Sean David Walsh scored hat-tricks as Ireland made it third time lucky to finish the pool stage on a high against the USA at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi.
Andrew Browne‘s men had lost to England and Argentina in their first two games, but they cut loose in their first-ever Junior World Championship match against the USA, running in 11 tries in total.
Scrumhalf Christoper Barrett opened the scoring, and his half-back partner O’Shea went on to claim a first-half treble with Walsh touching down twice and Robert Carney also going over as half-time approached.
That gave Ireland a 45-3 interval lead, and Walsh went on to claim his third try of the match with Adam Cooper, Daniel Ryan, and Jack Deegan also getting on the scoresheet.
The USA hit back with second-half scores from Finnian Love, Joseph Sarkees, and Leo Keesler-Venables in a much-improved display after the break.
Ireland lost winger Charlie Molony to a second yellow card in the final quarter, a card later upgraded to red, but they were still the last to score through Deegan.
Green capped a fine display at full-back for Ireland with a 23-point haul after scoring a try and kicking nine conversions.
ARGENTINA 38-40 ENGLAND: England eyes semi-final date with South Africa after outgunning Los Pumitas in Tbilisi thriller
Four-time champion England hung on for a dramatic victory against Argentina at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi to clinch top spot in Pool C and a semi-final with defending champion, South Africa.
Having already beaten Ireland and the USA, Andy Titterrell‘s men made it three bonus-point wins from three to register a fifth successive pool-stage victory over Los Pumitas at the Junior World Championship.
However, they were pushed all the way by a vibrant Argentina outfit who were outscored by six tries to five as England held on during a tense finale, which saw them have two players sin-binned.
Argentina’s counter-attacking brilliance – a huge feature of their play – came to the fore again when their inspirational captain Tomas Dande broke from deep for a superb opener.
England centre Will Knight then burst clear for a converted try with James Pater, Jimmy Staples, and Aiden Ainsworth-Cave also going over before half-time.
Argentina scored again through Manuel Cuneo Camargo, but also lost centre Benjamin Ordiz Yujnovsky to a red card, and England pushed clear after the break.
Ainsworth-Cave and Pater both completed braces, but Los Pumitas scored their third and fourth tries through Bautista Lescano and the prolific Simon Pfister, the tournament’s leading try-scorer.
After the English duo of Elliot Williams and Knight were sin-binned in quick succession going into the final 10 minutes, Argentina scored again through Lescano and Pfister with his second – and seventh of the tournament – but Titterrell’s side held on despite Los Pumitas going through multiple phases with time up on the clock.
POOL D
FRANCE 34-29 AUSTRALIA: Les Bleuets show title pedigree after edging out Australia
Three-time Junior World Championship winners France secured their ninth semi-final appearance after edging out Australia in this enthralling Pool D decider.
Les Bleuets made it three wins from three following previous victories over Fiji and Spain to set up a last-four showdown with New Zealand and encourage French hopes of a fourth title.
Only New Zealand and England have been crowned the champions more times than France, and the French showed their mettle to see off the Junior Wallabies after outscoring them by five tries to four.
Treyvon Pritchard gave Australia an early lead, but the response from Les Bleuets was emphatic. Their hugely influential flank and captain, Lucas Andjisseramatchi, scored twice on either side of a second French score from winger Melvyn Rates.
Luca Cleverley hit back for Chris Whitaker‘s Junior Wallabies to leave the half-time score at 22-12 in France’s favour.
Gabin Garault and Baptiste Tilloles added to Les Bleuets’ tally after the break and, despite scoring twice more themselves through Wallace Charlie and Edwin Langi, Australia’s efforts fell just short.
They were not helped by yellow cards shown to their second-rowers, Will Ross and Toby Brial, but it was an incredible effort from both sets of players during an energy-sapping encounter.
POOL D
SPAIN 26-29 FIJI: Fiji win first pool match in 14 years after edging out Spain in thriller
Fiji took the spoils to leapfrog Spain from the foot of Pool D following a compelling encounter which saw the islanders claim an historic victory.
The Fijians had not won a Junior World Championship pool match since beating Samoa 15-3 in the 2012 tournament in South Africa, but they had just enough to defeat a Spain side which battled hard throughout before succumbing to the Pacific islanders’ customary attacking flair.
Spain will next take on Uruguay on Sunday, while Fiji will face Ireland on Monday.
Andrew Tui Osborne‘s side outscored Los Leones U20 by five tries to three and ran out worthy victors at the AIA Arena in Kutaisi.
Spain winger Pelayo Serrano put his side ahead early on before they were awarded a penalty try. Fiji responded in style, with lock Francis Peters touching down before flank Isoa Koroinawai seized centre stage with a quickfire double before half-time.
Spain hit back after the interval with a try from hooker Ivan Farace, but they lost highly-rated centre Oriol Marsinyac Garcia to a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
From there, Fiji took full advantage with tries from Ratu Osea Dasalusalu and Sailosi Vodonaivalu to seal a memorable victory.
Issued by World Rugby
