France to face South Africa in Junior World Championship final

Adrien Drault’s late try secured France’s place in the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 final, where they will face defending champions South Africa who overcame England in the second semi-final.

France will face South Africa in the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 final after they ended the title hopes of New Zealand and England respectively in Tbilisi on Monday.

It will be the first time these sides, this year’s U20 Six Nations and U20 Rugby Championship winners, will meet in the Junior World Championship final with South Africa bidding to defend their crown and France seeking a fourth title.

The Junior Springboks showed their class to defeat England 53-37 in a match that saw two red cards, hours after Les Bleuets had scored a late winner to beat New Zealand 26-22.

Defeat for England and New Zealand means they will face off on Saturday in the third place play-off at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi, which will be played as a curtain-raiser to the final.

There were also wins on Monday for Italy and Ireland in the ninth place semi-finals in Kutaisi. Italy enjoyed a dream first half in beating hosts Georgia 43-19, while Ireland held on to beat Fiji 24-19.

The ranking matches from fifth to eighth and 13th to 16th had been set on Sunday when Scotland, Wales, Japan and Spain all tasted victory.

Argentina and Australia had sat top of their pools and been dreaming of a semi-final appearance going into the final round of matches, but will now meet in the seventh place play-off after suffering losses in entertaining matches against Scotland and Wales respectively at Avchala Stadium in the Georgian capital.

Japan and Spain, meanwhile, picked up their first wins of the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 after running in a combined 20 tries to see off USA and Japan in the 13th place semi-finals at AIA Arena in Kutaisi.

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Semi-finals

SOUTH AFRICA 53-37 ENGLAND: Defending champions beat 14-man England

Defending champions South Africa overpowered England to book a Junior World Championship final date with France on Saturday as they bid to retain the title they won in Italy last year.

England lost flanker Seb Kelly to a 32nd-minute permanent red card for a headbutt on Luan Giliomee at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi. England lead 17-7 at the time and managed to go in 20-12 at half-time but South Africa made their numerical advantage pay with five second-half touchdowns to record a 10th successive Junior World Championship victory.

Victorious Junior Springboks captain Siphosethu Mnebelele said: “England gave us a tough time in the first half and it was the same in the second half, but we managed to keep calm and get the win. We know how well-coached France are and it’s a final, so we’ll work really hard on our preparations.”

His England counterpart Connor Treacey said: “South Africa are a great rugby nation and ran away with it in the end, but I’m so proud of our effort. We started well, but it’s all about the end result because under-20s rugby is brutal.”

England enjoyed a dream start when tight-head prop Ollie Streeter barged over from close range, Hugh Shields converted but fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed showed impressive strength to burrow over the line before converting to level the scores.

Shields then booted a penalty before England scored again when he collected a short pass from half-back partner Lucas Friday and dived over from close range.

Within minutes of Kelly’s red card, the influential Ahmed sent a brilliant cross-field kick to the left corner where winger Khuthadzo Rasivhaga was on hand to touch down unopposed.

It took only two minutes of the second half before South Africa had another try as Giliomee broke superbly and supplied a perfect pass for Rasivhaga to race clear for his second try. Giliomee turned provider again with another deft offload to send flanker Kebotile Maake thundering over in the left corner.

Maake scored his second and Rasivhaga completed his hat-trick with Luke Cannon also scoring for the Junior Springboks, ensuring efforts from Jonny Weimann, Tate Williams and Shields were mere consolation, the last two coming after Giliomee had been red-carded for a contact in the air.

Photo: Giorgi Arjevanidze / World Rugby.

FRANCE 26-22 NEW ZEALAND: Drault conjures late winner for Les Bleuets

Adrien Drault scored a dramatic 76th-minute winning try as France edged out familiar foes New Zealand to seal their place in the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 final, the centre finishing off a delightful handling sequence to settle an absorbing encounter.

These sides were facing each other in their sixth Junior World Championship semi-final and it was Cédric Laborde’s men who narrowly prevailed at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi. Les Bleuets will now head to Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in the Georgian capital on Saturday as they bid to become champions for the first time since 2023.

Jubilant France captain Lucas Andjisseramatchi said: “I’m really happy because it was a really hard game against a great team. We always stayed together and our team is incredible.”

The defeat was heartbreaking for New Zealand, who won the last of their record six titles on Georgian soil in 2017, and captain Haki Wiseman admitted “it’s a tough one to take and everyone’s hurting right now. We wanted to defend what the 2017 New Zealand team did here and it’s a really tough pill to swallow at the moment – but we’ll look to end the tournament on a high.”

New Zealand were rewarded for their vibrant start when tight-head prop Ethan Webber was driven over the line but France hooker Gabin Garault then grounded the ball following a well-worked rolling maul.

A tight encounter played in humid conditions saw try-scoring opportunities at a premium, while New Zealand lost second-row Max Fale to a yellow card in the 21st minute. However, they scored a second try six minutes later when prop Henry Stuart powered over from close range before Garault cleverly touched down again from a lineout and driving maul for his sixth try of the tournament.

Replacement Finn McLeod squeezed over from close range to put New Zealand back in front but they soon lost flanker Caleb Woodley to a yellow card and France drew level when Elia Masi went over in the 61st minute. Mika Muliaina’s 72nd-minute penalty edged New Zealand ahead but France were not to be denied as Drault scampered clear for a superb winning score.

Action from the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 fifth place semi-final between France and New Zealand at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 13 July. Giorgi Arjevanidze / World Rugby.

Fifth place semi-finals

ARGENTINA 26-44 SCOTLAND: Roberts at the double as Scotland show their class

Joe Roberts took his tally to five tries in four games as Scotland kept alive hopes of matching their best-ever finish of fifth place with an impressive defeat of Argentina in the first fifth place semi-final in Tbilisi on Sunday.

The hooker and captain touched down either side of half-time at Avchala Stadium as Fergus Pringle’s young guns outscored Los Pumitas by seven tries to three in an entertaining affair.

Prop Ollie Blyth-Lafferty crashed over from close range to cap a period of sustained pressure for Scotland’s opening try before Roberts went over for his first as his side moved through the gears, adding a third try before the break through winger Nairn Moncrieff.

That left Scotland 19-7 ahead after the break as Argentina’s only first-half points came via a 27th-minute penalty try.

The Scots turned on the style in the second half, scoring four more tries through Hamish MacArthur, Roberts, Oliver McKenna and Harvey Preston.

Argentina showed what they are made off too, running in three tries of their own through Bautista Lescano, Pedro Coll and Ramon Fernandez to restore more than a semblance of respectability.

Photo: Tamuna Kulumbegashvili / World Rugby.

AUSTRALIA 36-38 WALES: Wales edge classic encounter to seal play-off with Scotland

Wales heaved a sigh of relief after Australia had what would have been a late match-winning try ruled out to come out on top of an enthralling affair at Avchala Stadium and book a fifth place play-off with Scotland on Friday.

Jonty Fowler thought he’d snatched victory when he dived over after the Junior Wallabies went 80 metres but the TMO intervened with a knock-on earlier in the move, leaving Wales to celebrate a first win over Australia since the 2018 tournament in France.

Australia battled against huge adversity after losing four players to injury during the opening quarter but Wales were not to be denied as they ground out a hard-earned success. Australia second-row Will Ross was forced off inside three minutes before Marshall Le Maitre also departed with highly-rated Treyvon Pritchard and prop Lehopoame Leota also succumbing to injury.

Pritchard was hurt in a tackle as he carried the ball and had to be helped off the field in clear discomfort with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury.

Wales capitalised on the upheaval within the Junior Wallabies’ ranks by scoring twice in quick succession, as winger Rhys Cummings brilliantly pounced on his own grubber kick to touch down before centre Osian Lewis added a second to make it 14-0.

However, Australia steadied themselves and hit back spectacularly as replacement full-back Tom Farr-Jones scored twice, either side of an effort from scrum-half Sam Blank to put his side 17-14 ahead.

Cummings’ second immediately after the restart restored Wales’ lead and co-captain Deian Gwynne added a fourth Welsh try, before Australia winger Riley Whitfeld acrobatically dived over in the left corner to cut the deficit to nine points.

Wales had Luke Evans sent off and Australia sensed a way back with Edwin Langi and John Greenfell crossing, but a penalty try in between ultimately proved the difference between the teams after Fowler’s effort was ruled out.

Photo: Tamuna Kulumbegashvili / World Rugby.

Nine place semi-finals

GEORGIA 19-43 ITALY: Azzurrini turn on the style to down hosts

Italy produced a sensational first-half performance to defeat hosts Georgia at AIA Arena in Kutaisi on Monday and seal their place in the ninth place play-off.

The Azzurrini scored all their points during the opening 40 minutes in a ruthless display to run in six tries and lead 43-14 at the break. Number eight Jaheim Wilson and full-back Pietro Celi both scored doubles while second-row Enoch Opoku Gyamfi and winger Luca De Novellis also touched down before the interval.

Wilson charged over inside the right channel for Italy’s opener before Opoku Gyamfi dived over from a lineout. Celi then scored his first before Temuri Dzodzuashvili got Georgia off the mark. Yet Italy simply moved through the gears in devastating fashion as De Novellis went over before Celi and Wilson both scored again.

Razmadze hit back for the Junior Lelos before half-time and they scored again in the final quarter through replacement Giorgi Agniashvili to salvage some pride.

Georgia had lost just one of their previous six Junior World Championship games against Italy but Andrea Di Giandomenico’s men were comprehensive winners here.

Photo: Levan Verdzeuli / World Rugby.

IRELAND 24-19 FIJI: Ireland edge close-fought affair in Kutaisi

Ireland narrowly beat a spirited Fiji side to secure a passage into the ninth place play-off against Italy at AIA Arena in Kutaisi on Saturday.

Andrew Browne’s men were made to work for their victory in a game that was in the balance at half-time when Ireland led just 14-12 and remained close until the final whistle.

Winger Daniel Ryan put Ireland ahead in the 12th minute with his second try of the tournament, chipping ahead down the left flank before regathering for a fine individual score. Yet Fiji, who now take on hosts Georgia for 11th place, hit back two minutes later when their talismanic scrum-half Isikeli Bari Ratu touched down.

Diarmaid O’Connell restored the Irish advantage with their second try from the base of a scrum in the 22nd minute but Fjii showed hugely impressive spirit. They hit back to claim their second try through Sailosi Vodonaivalu Taka, who took Tevita Vuniwaqa Ledua’s offload to dive over the line five minutes before the break.

Ireland, though, moved through the gears in the second half to score through James O’Leary before a third Fiji try from Apete Gauna Rokosuka ensured a tense finale. Fiji did have a chance to win it at the end after Harry Waters was yellow-carded, but their five-metre lineout throw wasn’t straight and Ireland heaved a sigh of relief.

Photo: Levan Verdzeuli / World Rugby.

13th place semi-finals

JAPAN 71-21 USA: Iwakura and Miura at the treble as Japan register entertaining win

Japan ended a 19-match losing run at the Junior World Championship with an impressive 11-try performance against USA to record their first victory of the 2026 edition in Georgia.

It was Japan’s first win since they defeated Samoa 29-12 in the ninth place semi-final in 2015 and the most points they have ever scored in a match in the tournament’s history with Rio Iwakura and Sota Miura both claiming hat-tricks.

Iwakura, who went into the match as the leading carry-maker in the tournament with 37, did superbly to crash over the line from close range for the opening try.

USA, still searching for their first-ever JWC victory, soon hit back through Frank Finicle but there was an energy about Japan as Iwakura scored again before Isa Fukada added a third. Winger Shinnosuke Uchida scored Japan’s fourth before USA replied through centre Dane Mitchell to leave the scores at 28-14 to Japan at the break.

The try-fest continued in the second half as Uchida scored a wonderful second try, chipping over the USA defence inside the right channel before regathering possession to touch down. Iwakura then completed his treble before Japan claimed further scores from Kohaku Suda, Miura with an 18-minute hat-trick and Keitatsu Motoyama.

USA’s third try came from William Darbishire but replacement prop Alfie Booth saw red late on as Japan secured just their fourth win in 34 Junior World Championship matches.

Photo: Levan Verdzeuli / World Rugby.

SPAIN 57-6 URUGUAY: Marsinyac at the double as Los Leones U20 outclass Uruguay

Spain turned on the style with a dominant nine-try victory over Uruguay at AIA Arena in Kutaisi to set up a 13th place play-off against Japan on Friday.

Highly-rated centre Oriol Marsinyac enhanced his growing reputation with two more tries to take his tally for this Junior World Championship to six in four games.

This was the first-ever Junior World Championship meeting between Spain and Uruguay and victory for Los Leones U20 saw them end a run of eight defeats dating back to a 24-19 win over Fiji in the 11th place play-off in their debut campaign in 2024.

Unax Salvador Asama, Daniel Chico Ayo and Ivan Farace scored first-half tries before Marsinyac took centre stage after the break. A centre who can also play back row and caught the eye last year in Italy, Marsinyac has gone on to make his senior debut in the 2026 Rugby Europe Men’s Championship.

He scored twice in 15 second-half minutes against Uruguay before Mauro del Campo, Marcal Carreras Cuesta (two) and Alfonso Enciso also got in on the act to underline Spain’s superiority.

Photo: Levan Verdzeuli / World Rugby.