World Rugby Under 20 Challenger Cup round two review

The second round of the World Rugby U20 Challenger wrapped up with hosts Chile recording a second consecutive bonus-point win, while Belgium, Brazil and Portugal also finished the day on the winning side.

Although there is still one round to go, Chile and Belgium are in pole position to reach the final, with Brazil and Portugal still in with a slim chance of overtaking their rivals.

Portugal 69-12 Namibia

After a shock loss at the hands of Belgium, Portugal got back on track with a 69-12 win over Namibia.

The U20 Lobos crossed for the opening try after just two minutes as winger Rodrigo Socorro found space out wide to score, with Rodrigo Gingado slotting his first conversion of the afternoon.

Hooker Thomas Ribeiro followed with a brace, extending the European side’s lead to 19-0. Namibia had more than a few opportunities to narrow the gap and, after several attempts, they finally found their way over the line when winger Jayden Jansen successfully wriggled out of a tackle to ground the ball.

Fixture

World Rugby Nations Cup

Romania

08:30

6 Nov 26

Tonga

All Stats and Data

Portugal added two more tries before the break through Ribeiro and Salvador Cabral, while Namibia also added another through Dominique Isaacs.

Unfortunately for the young Welwitschias, nothing went their way in the next 40 minutes as Portugal added five more tries.

With playmaking pair Manuel Cadilhe and Rodrigo Gingado pulling the strings, the U20 Lobos added their sixth through Socorro, who raced clear to score. Vasco Trindade added his name to the scoresheet next, while Ribeiro grabbed his fourth try of the afternoon. Cadilhe, João Menéres and Luke Pereira then completed the rout with a try apiece.

Despite the win, Portugal’s chances of reaching the final are slim, as Belgium only need a draw against Namibia.

Brazil 22-10 Hong Kong China

After a highly competitive contest, Brazil were deserved winners over Hong Kong China, with the Curumins claiming a 22-10 victory and climbing to second place in Pool A.

For the first 20 minutes, the score remained unchanged, with both sides failing to gain the upper hand, although Brazil missed an early penalty opportunity. However, they capitalised on a scrum to claim their first try of the game as flanker Gabriel Mohalem powered over the line.

With 10 minutes to go before the break, Hong Kong China looked for a way in, upping the pressure from the set-piece, but came away empty-handed every time because of the fierce Brazilian defence and their ability to pilfer the ball.

To make matters worse for the Asian side, Brazil extended their lead following a second try, this time from captain and No.8 Francisco da Ros, plus a conversion from Cauã Tenório. Just as it seemed the Curumins would go into half-time 12 points ahead, Tivizio Depoid stepped in to give Hong Kong China some solace. The winger broke the line and evaded several tackles before diving into the in-goal area for what could be the try of the round.

After the break, Brazil regained control of the match, scoring another try following a lineout as prop Derick Estêvão Pio broke several tackles before grounding the ball. Hong Kong China still put up a good fight over the next 25 minutes and collected their second five-pointer of the day through lock Sam Blackburn, who ran amok for more than 30 metres.

As the contest turned into a set-piece battle, the South Americans powered over for their fourth try from a driving maul, leaving Hong Kong China unable to halt the momentum or match the opposition’s raw strength.

Brazil head into the final round knowing they need to beat Chile to earn their place in the final.

Belgium 41-12 Canada

Belgium took a major step towards the final with an emphatic 41-12 win over Canada, delivering a stellar performance.

Despite the final score, Canada went into the half-time break leading 7-6 following a try from scrum-half Chris Rose, while all of Belgium’s points came from Charles Depasse’s boot.

However, the North Americans’ indiscipline, combined with the Belgians’ brutal efficiency, changed the complexion of the game. The U20 Diables Noirs struck just five minutes after play resumed, with captain Thomas Ironside Wickham finishing a sensational team move.

Mylo Bouckaert followed, with Depasse converting both tries and adding a penalty to extend the Belgian lead to 23-7.

While Canada did manage to find their way back into the Belgian in-goal area through Liam Kinghorn, it wasn’t enough to salvage the game. The European side remained composed and, with Canada losing two players to the sin-bin, it was only a matter of time before Depasse landed two more penalties and Iyad Meksoud and Thomas Wickham scored a try each.

After pulling off a stunning win over Portugal, the U20 Diables Noirs produced another fine performance and are now just 80 minutes away from qualifying for the final.

Chile 50-9 Romania

Chile are just one small step from reaching the final after beating Romania 50-9 in the final game of round two of the World Rugby U20 Challenger.

The U20 Stejarii went ahead first through a penalty from Antonio Mitrea, but it wouldn’t last long as the hosts hit back a few minutes later. Chile slowly gained control of possession and, from a lineout, set up a driving maul, marching forward until hooker Rafael Silva got over the line. Jaime Soler added the conversion.

Romania added three more points, but Chile claimed two more tries through Silva and Ignacio Valdés to go into the break leading 21-6.

In the second half, the U20 Cóndores kept building momentum, despite Romania scoring first again from Mitrea’s boot. Winger Lukas Winkler grounded the ball in the corner after a sensational play by scrum-half Santiago Wood before Tomás Queirolo broke through a small gap to claim Chile’s fifth try of the evening.

The hosts’ aggressive, fast counter-defence was too much for Romania to handle, with the visitors conceding several turnovers that killed any attempt to turn the game around.

With captain Marco Alvano running a tight and relentless ship, Chile added another 15 points before full-time through tries from Santiago Wood and Cristian Riquelme, plus five points from Soler’s boot.

Having claimed 10 points from two games, Chile only need a draw against Brazil to reach the final, while the Curumins need a bonus-point win to overtake their South American rivals.

Round 3 (12 October)

Pool A
Romania vs Hong Kong China (2pm BST)
Chile vs Brazil (11pm BST)

Pool B
Canada vs Portugal (5pm BST)
Belgium vs Namibia (8pm BST)