France make two changes for U20 Championship final versus England
The French, who are chasing a fourth successive world title in a row, swatted aside New Zealand 55-31 in their semi-final last Sun…
Liam Heagney
17 Jul 2024, 7:22
Contributors
Liam Heagney
@heagneyl
A seasoned rugby journalist, Liam hails from Limerick and has covered World Cups, Lions tours, Six Nations Championships and European Cup campaigns since 2000. He became a content editor at RugbyPass in 2019 after joining from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday in Ireland.
Interview
Getting to know: England U20s scrum-half Ollie Allan
With that pesky leg ailment since healed, Allan has returned to the England squad and been a key component in what has been achiev…
Liam Heagney
17 Jul 2024, 2:17
Interview
'The bright side' Vernon Bason has taken from heavy loss to France
The Baby Blacks had defeated France in a pool match in Stellenbosch 10 days earlier, Rico Simpson kicking an 80th-minute penalty t…
Liam Heagney
16 Jul 2024, 14:03
Interview
Brent Liufau: 'Special night playing against my cousin for New Zealand'
France versus New Zealand was a spicy rematch last Sunday at the World Rugby U20 Championship. The French, the defending three-in-…
Liam Heagney
16 Jul 2024, 4:51
Analysis
Four World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final talking points
Sunday at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Cape Town began with a blue sky, quite the contrast to match day there’s brutal we…
Liam Heagney
15 Jul 2024, 9:44
Interview
Mark Mapletoft: 'Four-fifths up the mountain... now for the summit'
Having drawn their last two matches with Ireland, they finally put the squeeze on the age-grade rivals, dominating in the scrum an…
Liam Heagney
15 Jul 2024, 5:55
Interview
England U20s hooker Craig Wright: 'It’s a real weapon of ours'
With Ireland eventually beaten 31-20, the hooker had just finished belting out Zombie in his team’s dressing room when he stroll…
Liam Heagney
15 Jul 2024, 4:40
Ireland coach Andy Farrell: 'I’m jealous of that'
Andy Farrell was directed into a vast Kings Park boardroom next door where the long long-table set up now dwarfed the water bottle…
Liam Heagney
15 Jul 2024, 2:00
Interview
Jono Gibbes' reaction to France U20s putting 55 points on New Zealand
The Baby Blacks came into the fixture at the Cape Town Stadium having beaten the French 27-26 just 10 days earlier in a pool match…
Liam Heagney
14 Jul 2024, 16:18
Seven-try France hammer New Zealand to book U20 final versus England
Beaten 26-27 by an 80th-minute Baby Blacks penalty in a July 4 pool match in Stellenbosch, the French only reached the last four a…
Liam Heagney
14 Jul 2024, 13:54
England scrum their way to U20 final with deserved win over Ireland
Two points up at the break, Mark Mapletoft’s side took a firm grip on the previously frenetic exchanges and the second period be…
Liam Heagney
14 Jul 2024, 11:27
Analysis
Caelan Doris and three other South Africa vs Ireland talking points
What an epic we were treated to in Durban on Saturday. The atmosphere at Kings Park was tremendous and the calibre of the rugby on…
Liam Heagney
14 Jul 2024, 4:55
Interview
Nathan Michelow: 'It's one that we all want to smash them in really'
The lobby of the England team hotel in Cape Town was as busy as a railway station concourse when RugbyPass dropped by in midweek t…
Liam Heagney
14 Jul 2024, 3:39
Analysis
Four World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final talking points
It was last Tuesday following match day three when the appetising semi-final line-up was confirmed, pitting Rugby Championship cha…
Liam Heagney
14 Jul 2024, 3:22
The Andy Farrell answer to Ireland or South Africa being world No1
The Irish travelled to the southern hemisphere four months after clinching back-to-back Six Nations titles and their tour to the h…
Liam Heagney
13 Jul 2024, 23:23
The Andy Farrell, Rassie Erasmus verdict on Ireland drop goal winner
Seven days after Andy Farrell and Rassie Erasmus shared different perspectives on the TMO decisions that were the hot topic coming…
Liam Heagney
13 Jul 2024, 23:16
What Rassie Erasmus said on refereeing in Springboks loss to Ireland
Trailing 6-16 at the break, South Africa roared back in the second half to take a 24-19 lead on 65 minutes after Handre Pollard su…
Liam Heagney
13 Jul 2024, 23:06
Analysis
World Rugby U20 Championship match day four semi-final guide
It's semi-finals Sunday at the World Rugby U20 Championship and following last Tuesday’s weather-affected schedule, the hope wil…
Liam Heagney
13 Jul 2024, 22:52
Analysis
Ireland player ratings versus South Africa – Castle Lager Test Two
Here, amid the disco/swim club vibe reverberating around the ground, they brought their razzle and dazzle and led 10-0, 16-6 and 1…
Liam Heagney
13 Jul 2024, 13:00
Interview
'The lads don't understand the magnitude of doing things like that'
He had just witnessed his team go to the well, grinding out a dogged 17-12 win over South Africa at the World Rugby U20 Championsh…
Liam Heagney
10 Jul 2024, 3:40
