New Zealand Under 20s fall to France in Junior World Championship semi-final
Semi-final defeat for New Zealand
The New Zealand Under 20 team has been defeated by France in the semi-final of the Junior World Championship in Georgia, with France securing a 26-22 victory. The decisive moment came in the 76th minute when Adrien Drault scored a try, which ultimately sealed France’s place in the final. France has a strong record in the tournament, having won three of the last five competitions in 2018, 2019, and 2023.
New Zealand began the match strongly, with Ethan Webber opening the scoring after seven minutes from a driving lineout. Cohen Norrie successfully converted the try, giving his team an early lead. However, France’s forwards quickly demonstrated their strength, with prop Matheo Frisach scoring a try in the 20th minute from a rolling maul, which Luka Keletaona converted to level the scores.
Shortly after, Max Fale of New Zealand received a yellow card for a high tackle. Despite being a man down, New Zealand managed to regain the lead after 26 minutes when Josh Finley set up Henry Stuart for a try. The back-and-forth nature of the game continued as France’s powerful lineout drive led to hooker Gabin Garault scoring his fifth try of the tournament in the 33rd minute, with Keletaona adding the conversion.
Key moments and French resurgence
The second half saw New Zealand weather French pressure for 18 minutes before responding with a try. Micah Fale was instrumental in the build-up, and Finn McLeod finished the move from close range, with Norrie converting. The intensity of the match was further highlighted when Caleb Woodley became the second New Zealand player to be sin-binned. While Woodley was off the field, the French pack capitalized, with Elia Masi scoring a try that brought the scores level at 19-19.
New Zealand believed they had taken a significant step towards the final in the 66th minute when Micah Fale appeared to score a try, but the Television Match Official (TMO) disallowed it due to a knock-on by Haki Wiseman. Six minutes later, Norrie successfully kicked a long-range penalty, which looked to be a match-winning moment. However, Drault’s late try dashed New Zealand’s hopes, leaving them no time to recover.
The New Zealand Under 20 team had advanced to the semi-finals after an unbeaten run in Pool B. They secured three victories, defeating Japan 38-21, Scotland 36-26, and Italy 45-15. France also progressed through their pool play undefeated, setting up the highly anticipated semi-final clash between the two strong contenders.
Team selection and tournament context
Head Coach Kane Jury made five changes to the squad that played against Italy in the final pool match. The starting forward pack remained consistent, following a strong performance that saw New Zealand score seven tries against Italy. In the backline, David Lewai moved to the left wing, and Haki Wiseman returned from concussion to start in the midfield alongside Siale Pahulu. The bench also saw two changes, with Jackson Hughan returning as the reserve halfback and Logan Williams providing outside back cover.
Coach Jury had expressed confidence in his team’s continuity for the knockout stage, acknowledging that the intensity of a semi-final would be significantly higher. He noted France as an outstanding side and a tournament favourite, expecting them to challenge New Zealand across all aspects of the game. Jury emphasized the importance of accuracy, discipline, and seizing opportunities, stating that the players were excited for the challenge and the chance to earn a place in the final.
The New Zealand squad for the semi-final included players such as Henry Stuart, Josh Finley, Ethan Webber, Max Fale, Jake Frost, Bradley Tocker, Caleb Woodley (vice-captain), Patrick Mauga, Charlie Sinton (captain), Mika Muliaina, David Lewai, Haki Wiseman, Siale Pahulu, Oliver Guerin, and Cohen Norrie. Reserves included Xavier Leota, James Moore, Dane Johnston, Finn McLeod, Micah Fale, Jackson Hughan, Logan Williams, and Kobe Brownlee. Johnny Falloon and Kele Lasaqa were unavailable for selection, having returned to New Zealand due to injury.
In other tournament news, Italy defeated the host nation, Georgia, 43-19 in the ninth-place semi-final. Mattia Andretti contributed 13 points for Italy, who scored six tries despite receiving two yellow cards during their match.
The semi-final match between New Zealand and France was broadcast live on Sky, with kick-off at 2:00 am NZT on Tuesday, 14 July.
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Source: rugbypass.com
