New Zealand and South Africa will meet in a World Rugby U20 Championship final for the first time since 2012 after ending the title hopes of France and Argentina respectively in Italy.
The World Rugby U20 Championship 2025 final on Saturday in the Italian city of Rovigo will be between New Zealand and South Africa, a repeat of the 2012 title decider involving two sides desperate to end a long wait to be crowned champions again on the global stage.
Fans in the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella in Viadana were treated to two enthralling semi-finals on Monday, starting with a repeat of the 2024 battle between France and New Zealand which had yielded an incredible 86 points with Les Bleuets running out 55-31 winners in South Africa.
In the 63rd minute, New Zealand was tenuously ahead 27-26 when they were reduced to 13 players with both Frank Vaenuku and Jake Wiseman in the sin bin.
However, New Zealand stripped France of possession and, with surgical precision, muscled ahead, one pass from the ruck at a time as the blue wall creaked and shirked. A metre from the line, halfback Dylan Pledger sent a nifty pass to thundering Aisake Vakasiuola, who crashed over the line. Rico Simpson’s sixth consecutive success established an eight-point buffer, which proved sufficient to stave off the French.
In the opening minute of the match France shanked a clearance kick and Kiwi Stanley Solomon swopped upon the ball galloping 40 metres unopposed. Rico Simpson converted from the sideline.
Indeed, New Zealand raced out to a 14-0 lead but were reeled back in not once but twice in the first half as France made them pay for 28 missed tackles to only trail by five at the break after Fabien Brau-Boirie's late slice through the defence.
The second half was a much tighter affair, New Zealand's defence keeping France at bay for the first 20 minutes before two yellow cards in quick succession looked to open the door for Les Bleuets. However, New Zealand did not concede a point while men down and ultimately ran out 34-26 winners to reach a first final since they won the title for a sixth time in 2017.
South Africa's wait for a second title is even longer, having won the only previous final between New Zealand and the Junior Springboks on home soil at a sold-out Newlands in 2012. They could not have made a better start against Los Pumitas, centre Albie Bester dotting down in the ninth minute before they claimed the restart and burst downfield for lively scrum-half Hassiem Pead to finish off the move.
The lead was 28-3 inside 25 minutes with the Junior Springboks threatening to run away with the match, but Argentina dug in, and gave themselves hope just before half-time when number eight Agustín Garcia campos Fiszman powered over the line.
Argentina cut the deficit to 11 points when Timoteo Silva went over, but South Africa were in no mood to allow Los Pumitas any closer with Vusi Moyo kicking two penalties before Bester ran clear for his second of the game to seal a 48-24 victory for his side.
France 26 [Tries: Gourgues, Britz, Brau-Boirie, Echegaray; Cons: Keletaona 2, Jurd] New Zealand 34 [Tries: Solomon, Bason, Wiseman, Vakasiuola; Cons: Simpson 4; Pens: Simpson 2]
France: 15 Jon Echegaray, 14 Tom Leveque, 13 Fabien Brau Boirie, 12 Kalvin Gourgues, 11 Xan Mousques, 10 Luka Keletaona, 9 Simon Daroque, 8 Elyjah Ibsaiene, 7 Baptiste Britz, 6 Antoine Deliance, 5 Corentin Mezou (captain), 4 Charles Kante Samba, 3 Mohamed Megherbi, 2 Lyam Akrab, 1 Samuel Jean-Christophe.
Replacements: 16 Gabin Garault, 17 Edouard-Junior Jabea Njocke, 18 Lenny Alifanety, 19 Remy Lanen, 20 Bobby Bissu, 21 Baptiste Tilloles, 22 Diego Jurd, 23 Simeli Daunivucu.
New Zealand: 15 Stanley Solomon, 14 Frank Vaenuku, 13 Cooper Roberts, 12 Jack Wiseman, 11 Maloni Kunawave, 10 Rico Simpson, 9 Dylan Pledger, 8 Mosese Bason, 7 Caleb Woodley, 6 Finn McLeod, 5 Jayden Sa, 4 Xavier Treacy, 3 Robson Faleafā, 2 Manumaua Letiu (captain), 1 Sika Pole.
Replacements: 16 Eli Oudenryn, 17 Israel Time, 18 Dane Johnston, 19 Aisake Vakasiuola, 20 Micah Fale, 21 Jai Tamati, 22 Tayne Harvey, 23 Harlyn Saunoa.
South Africa 48 [Tries: Bester 2, Pead, Williams, Theron, Jooste; Cons: Moyo 5, Malgas; Pens: Moyo 2] Argentina 24 [Tries: Campos Fiszman, Silva, Miranda; Cons: Benedit 2, Senillosa; Pen: Benedit]
South Africa: 15 Gilermo Mentoe, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 Demitre Erasmus, 12 Albie Bester, 11 Jaco Williams, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Haashim Pead, 8 Wandile Mlaba, 7 Bathobele Hlekani, 6 Xola Nyali, 5 JJ Theron, 4 Riley Norton (captain), 3 Herman Lubbe, 2 Siphosethu Mnebelele, 1 Simphiwe Ngobese.
Replacements: 16 Jaundré Schoeman, 17 Oliver Reid, 18 Jean Erasmus, 19 Jaco Grobbelaar, 20 Matt Romao, 21 Ceano Everson, 22 Dominic Malgas, 23 Stephanus Linde.
Argentina: 15 Pascal Senillosa, 14 Timoteo Silva, 13 Pedro Coll, 12 Felipe Ledesma (captain), 11 Bautista Lescano, 10 Rafael Benedit, 9 Felix Corletto, 8 Agustin Garcia Campos Fiszman, 7 Santiago Neyra, 6 Tomas Dande, 5 Alvaro Garcia Iandolino, 4 Tomas Duclos, 3 Tomas Rapetti, 2 Tadeo Ledesma Arocena, 1 Diego Correa.
Replacements: 16 Jeronimo Otano, 17 Juan Rodriguez, 18 Gael Galvan, 19 Valentino Freiria, 20 Pampa Storey, 21 Valentino Reggiardo, 22 Ramon Fernandez Miranda, 23 Aquiles Vieyra.
Australia U20 will face England in the fifth-place play-off in Calvisano. The Junior Wallabies burst out of the blocks with two tries in the first six minutes against tournament hosts Italy in Verona, Aden Ekanayake and Shane Wilcox setting them on the way to a 44-21 win.
Italy 21 [Tries: Caiolo-Serra, Mistrulli, Todaro; Cons: Braga 3] Australia 44 [Tries: Ekanayake, Wilcox, Enasio, Doyle, Fowler, Langi; Cons: Fowler 4; Pens: Fowler 2]
Italy: 15 Roberto Fasti, 14 Riccardo Ioannucci, 13 Federico Zanandrea (co-captain), 12 Edoardo Todaro, 11 Jules Ducros, 10 Francesco Braga, 9 Matteo Bellotto, 8 Nelson Casartelli (co-captain), 7 Carlo Antonio Bianchi, 6 Piero Gritti, 5 Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, 4 Tommaso Redondi, 3 Bruno Vallesi, 2 Alessio Caiolo-Serra, 1 Sergio Pelliccioli.
Replacements: 16 Sascha Mistrulli, 17 Christian Brasini, 18 Luca Trevisan, 19 Simone Fardin, 20 Giacomo Milano, 21 Damian Mori, 22 Luca Rossi, 23 Riccardo Casarin.
Australia: 15 Sid Harvey, 14 Cooper Watters, 13 Dre Pakeho, 12 Malakye Enasio, 11 Shane Wilcox, 10 Joey Fowler, 9 James Martens, 8 Toby Brial, 7 Aden Ekanayake, 6 Eli Langi, 5 Eamon Doyle (captain), 4 Joe Mangelsdorf, 3 Edwin Langi, 2 Ollie Barrett, 1 Nathaniel Tiitii.
Replacements: 16 Lipina Ata, 17 Lotu Vunipola, 18 Trevor King, 19 Ollie Aylmer, 20 Beau Morrison, 21 Hwi Sharples, 22 Joe Dillon, 23 Xavier Rubens.
