Under 20s progress to World Rugby Under 20s Final
England booked their place in the final of the World Rugby Under 20 Championship for the third consecutive year when they beat South African 28-20 last night.
Making his second start in the competition, Falcons Academy Lock Will Witty once again drew widespread praise for his performance in a pack which dominated throughout the semi-final.
With Witty having scored his own short range try in the reigning champions’ opening game of the competition, England’s first two tries of the tournament were the result of robust forward plays which saw the ball pushed over from the scrum.
With a third try scored late in the game and thirteen points coming from the boot of Bath Rugby’s Rory Jennings England found themselves 28-6 ahead midway through the final quarter of the game.
And despite a fightback which saw the Baby Boks score two tries late on, it wasn’t enough to prevent the two-time champions progressing to the final of the competition.
Speaking after the game, England Under 20 Head Coach Jon Callard said: “I am so proud of the boys and how they played, particularly up front. The South Africans are very big and physical and we more than matched them, not just for size and heart, but for speed of thought and game management.
“The way we disrupted the line out and scrum was also very impressive. We now have the opportunity to continue the journey of developing as individuals and a team as we look forward to next Saturday.”
The World Rugby Under 20 Championship Final will see England take on New Zealand this Saturday, 20th June at 7.30pm, in a match shown live on BT Sport 2.
