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Seven-try France hammer New Zealand to book U20 final versus England

Mathis Castro-Ferreira scores one of his three tries for France (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

Defending champions France remain on course to win their fourth successive World Rugby U20 Championship after they hammered New Zealand 55-31 in an action-packed semi-final in Cape Town.

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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 as the tournament’s best runner-up across the three pools courtesy of last Tuesday’s victory over Wales.

However, they made brilliant use of that reprieve to blitz New Zealand in this rematch with a smashing attacking performance. They scored four first-half tries to lead 34-14 at the break and then added three more to set up a decider next Friday versus England, the team who came to Pau 17 weeks ago to win 45-31 and clinch the age-grade Six Nations title.

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With the marvellous Hugo Reus at the very top of his orchestral game and Mathis Castro-Ferreira gluttonously dominating in the forwards, France began like an express train, scoring tries on four and seven minutes to take an early 14-point lead.

New Zealand had only themselves to blame for the first concession, failing to properly protect themselves at a ruck by having enough players on guard. This vulnerability was exploited by Joe Quere Karaba, who picked up and took the direct route to the line from the 22, and Reus converted.

Turnovers

3
Turnovers Won
8
26
Turnovers Lost
10

The next score, though, was all about French flair rather than Kiwi shortcomings in defence. Hoani Bosmorin motored down the left and threw a pass to Reus, who produced something ridiculously sublime by lofting a pass inside while in the air over the touchline as he was tackled by Rico Simpson. Charly Gambini grasped the dropping ball to score and Reus slotted the sideline conversion.

New Zealand hit back on 10 minutes, a penalty try coming from a collapsed driving maul. Geoffrey Malaterre was yellow-carded for the offence but if being a man short was supposed to impede the French, the message never got passed on as they ‘won’ the sin-binning 10-7.

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A gigantic break from Barnabe Massa fractured the Kiwis and when the play probed right, tighthead Lino Julien delivered a sweet assist for Castro-Ferreira to dive in at the corner. Reus guided over the conversion and also landed a 19-minute penalty from the 10-metre line three minutes after Dylan Pledger sold the French a pup with a lovely dash to the line for a converted try when a ruck was left unguarded.

All that tremendous high-tempo action left the scoreline 24-14 in favour of the French and there was more to come. Jonathan Lee would have felt unfortunate to have been held up over the line with a quick penalty tap for New Zealand from five metres out and that let-off was costly as France had 10 further points on the board by the 33rd minute.

Playing a man off the ball cost the Baby Blacks possession and with the resulting French lineout purposely going over the top and being caught in the midfield, a penalty advantage was subsequently won down the other touchline, inviting Reus to look up and kick back to the other side and give the ball-catching Castro-Ferreira an easy run-in.

Next, a Bosmorin kick ahead temped Simpson to run the ball back from his line but he was mowed down and penalised for a no-release, allowing Reus to kick the penalty.

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Behind by 20 points, New Zealand needed relief but a sloppy Lee fumble left them frustrated as did a penalty kick to touch by Simpson that instead went dead, leaving them heading down the tunnel with a vastly bigger mountain to climb than the 11-point margin they were behind at the break in Stellenbosch 10 days ago.

Just five minutes after coming back up the tunnel, their situation worsened as pick-and-go wore them down and Castro-Ferreira dived over for his hat-trick try, a score inevitably added to by Reus for 41-14. New Zealand fleetingly thought they had a straw to clutch with a 50th-minute yellow card for French sub loosehead Lorencio Boyer-Gallardo.

However, TMO detected some follow-up foul play from Stanley Solomon on the clearance-kicking Leo Carbonneau. Instead of 10 minutes with a man advantage and penalty kick to the corner, the penalty was overturned and Solomon also received a yellow card that was quickly upgraded to red.

That should have been the end of it but New Zealand scored unconverted tries in a four-minute spell from sub King Maxwell, with his first touch, and Aki Tuivailala to make it 41-24 with a full 20 minutes still to play.

Was one of the greatest comebacks of all time now suddenly a possibility? No was the blunt answer as Mathis Ferte picked off a Simpson pass and raced from his own half to score the try that Reus converted for 48-24.

The Kiwis still weren’t done as there was a converted Andrew Smith try on 67 minutes, but neither were France finished and Reus’ crosskick put in Xan Mousques for their seventh converted try nine minutes from the finish of what was a spectacular team performance.

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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