Group C of the World Rugby U20 Championship will see England, the reigning age-grade champions of the Six Nations, face hosts South Africa, who finished second in the inaugural age-grade Rugby Championship on the Gold Coast, Australia.
The third round takes place in Athlone on July 9, when the popular duo – last year’s beaten semi-finalists – face off in an exciting group that also includes dangerous Argentina and little-known Fiji. next rugby pass Team-by-team guidance for World Rugby U20 Championship Pool C:
South Africa (3rd seed)
coach: Bafana Hleko;
Captain: Zachary Potten;
last year: Third. After suffering a shock defeat to Italy, they reached the semi-finals on a one-on-one basis, but Ireland chose to play England for the bronze medal.
this year: Second in the Rugby Championship, following a draw with New Zealand on the opening day and a second-round defeat to Australia, their lowest point finish;
Fixtures: June 29 vs Fiji (Cape Town, 7pm), July 4 vs Argentina (Stellenbosch, 7pm), July 9 vs England (Athlone, 7pm);
Noteworthy: JF van Hirde.
Hit, bump, handoff! | The biggest clashes of the U20 World Championship
Hits, bumps and handoffs! | The biggest clash of the U20 World Championships
They say: “For us, it’s about maintaining our fundamentals, maintaining our strength in set-piece play and being in a position to make the right decisions when the opportunity arises. Contact zone action will be key on both sides of the ball,” said Coach Nhleko.
We are talking: With the addition of the iconic DHL Stadium to the list of venues, the pressure is even greater than last year as the tournament moves to the heart of the Mother City. South Africa are expected to perform, but they have put on the handbrake too much and were unable to handle the circumstances of the hosts a year ago. Here’s hoping they aren’t similarly blunt in their approach this time around.
fixture
World Rugby U20 Championship
South Africa U20
Fiji U20
trivia: South Africa finished fifth in all tournaments in 2011, reaching the semi-finals.
United Kingdom (4)
coach: Mark Mapletoft;
Captain: Finn Karduff;
last year: After losing to France in the semifinals, they finished in 4th place and lost to South Africa in the bronze medal match.
this year: The team that won the Six Nations Championship after going undefeated drew with rivals Ireland in Bath and then pulled off a dramatic comeback win over France in the Pau.
Fixtures: June 29 vs Argentina (Athlone, 2pm local), July 4 vs Fiji (Athlone, 4.30pm), July 9 vs South Africa (Athlone, 7pm);
Noteworthy: Henry Pollock.
They say: “Our pool stage fixtures feature exciting opponents with different styles and approaches to the game who will test our capabilities in the brief twists between match days. The players, staff and I are delighted to be able to make our country proud. .” – Coach Mapletoft
We are talking: A defeat in Georgia last time out could work in England’s favor in the same way as last year’s defeat in Tbilisi was followed by a patient full campaign that saw them reach the semi-finals. They were incredible when they beat France in the Six Nations, and the second half was a showcase of how to entertain.
trivia: Seven unrestricted players made the trip, underscoring England’s approach to keep shaking things up.
Round One Team: 1. Asher Opoku-Porjour, 2. Craig Wright, 3. Billy Sella, 4. Joe Bailey, 5. Junior Kopoku, 6. Finn Cardunduff (captain), 7. Henry Pollock, 8. Nathan Michelow. , 9. Ollie Allen, 10. Josh Bellamy, 11. Alex Wills, 12. Sean Kerr, 13. Ollie Spencer, 14. Jack Bracken, 15. Ben Redshaw. Representatives: 16. James Isaacs, 17. Cameron Miel, 18. Afolabi Passogbon, 19. Olamide Sodeke, 20. Kane James, 21. Lucas Friday, 22. Benjamin Cohen, 23. Ioan Jones.
“I watched the first episode with the players last night…”
– Mark Mapletoft joins Liam Heigny to give his verdict in episode 1 of Embedded 2024, the RugbyPass TV documentary about England U20s in Cape Town. #WorldRugbyU20s #EnglandRugby #ENGvARG #rugby pic.twitter.com/sZ3V5iLznQ
— Rugby Pass (@RugbyPass) June 27, 2024
Argentina(9)
coach: Alvaro Galindo;
Captain: Elias Efrain;
last year: In the billiards final, South Africa, which was leading at halftime, was overwhelmed trying to advance to the semifinals. They ended up finishing in a disappointing 9th place.
this year: 3rd place in the 1st Rugby Championship. After beating Australia in their opening match, they suffered two defeats, the last of which was a narrow loss to South Africa.
Fixtures: June 29 vs England (Athlone, 2pm), July 4 vs South Africa (Stellenbosch, 7pm), July 9 vs Fiji (Stellenbosch, 2pm);
Noteworthy: Franco Roseto.
they say: “It was very important to participate in the championship. It was especially important to see the players in competition and to meet them as a team beforehand to see what went wrong, what went well and where we could turn to. It has been fundamental in our preparation, and now the goal is for every athlete to compete and, above all, improve on what we did last year.” – Coach Galindo.
We are talking: They are a team with the ability to dominate both England and South Africa on a day to day basis but discipline will be key if they are to cause an upset or two.
trivia: Los Fumitas received a yellow card every time they played in the U20 Rugby Championship, conceding an average of 5 points while short-handed.
round one team: 1. Diego Correa, 2. Juan Manuel Vivas, 3. Tomas Lafetti, 4. Efraín Elias (captain), 5. Álvaro García Landolino, 6. Juan Penucos, 7. Santos Fernández de Oliveira, 8. Juan Pedro Bernasconi; 9. Genaro Podesta, 10. Santino di Luca; 11. Franco Rossetto, 12. Faustino Sánchez Vallarolo, 13. Tomas Bocco, 14. Timoteo Silva, 15. Benjamin Elizalde. Contact persons: 16. Juan Greising Revol, 17. Joaquin Yakiche, 18. Gael Galvan, 19. Ignacio Torrado, 20. Agustin Sarelli, 21. Tomas Di Biase, 22. Facundo Rodriguez, 23. Gregorio Perez Pardo.
fixture
World Rugby U20 Championship
England U20
Argentina U20
Fiji (10)
coach: Avishai Sairada;
Captain: Nellani May;
last year: It was difficult in the pool, but we finished in 10th place in the semifinal playoffs.
this year: They have had success against Pacific neighbours Tonga, Moana Pasifika and Samoa in recent Oceania tournaments.
Fixtures: South Africa on June 29 (Cape Town, 7pm), England on July 4 (Athlone, 4.30pm), Argentina on July 9 (Stellenbosch, 2pm);
noteworthy: Why Nawai?
They say: “When I first heard there was a problem with my visa, I was initially discouraged, but I did not give up and prayed, read the Bible, fasted, and thanked God for His guidance and for giving me the opportunity to travel to Cape Town.” – Anare Kaginavanua props.
We are talking: Their mixed arrival in Cape Town could have left them unprepared. Twelve players had visa issues before being granted permission to fly. They have plenty of ball skills, but set pieces against an opponent who likes to scrum and swarm will be their downfall.
trivia: Skipper May is not only good at rugby, he has also played for his national basketball team.
round one team: 1. Anare Kaginavanua, 2. Moses Armstrong-Ravula, 3. Breyton Legge, 4. Iliesa Erenavula, 5. Nalani May (Capt.), 6. Ebernezer Tuidraki, 7. Ronald Sharma, 8. Simon Koroiyadi; 9. Isaiah Nawai, 10. Their Night; 11. King Ezekiel Rabitu, 13. Sibaniolo Calver, 14. Waisake Salaviau, 15. Ezekiel Basialo. Contact: 16. Matthew Uluibau, 17. Luke Tuisirelli, 18. Luke Naso, 19. Malachi Massa,
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We go deep @England Rugby The Under-20 team heads to South Africa. #WorldRugbyU20s Championship? #embedded #Rugby Pass TV pic.twitter.com/LxVAIXnGZZ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 26, 2024
