Fiji youngsters move up in the world

Division B finals

The final matches of Division B of the IRB's Under-19 World Championship were played in Dubai on Thursday. Fiji will play in Division A next year after their 22-14 win over Tonga. They will replace either Japan or Romania in the top division.

Italy finished third after a comprehensive 35-8 win over Canada, while Georgia also ran out comfortbale winners over Uruguay, 38-18, to finish fifth.

Chile squeezed past Russia 10-9 to claim seventh spot, while Namibia showed plenty of class to despatch Chinese Taipei 57-10 and finish ninth. Korea consigned the USA to the bottom spot with a tense 30-28 win in a match interrupted by a power failure.

Korea vs USA, 30-28

It was a match when the lighting caused problems. With Korea up 30-21 the floodlights went off and the match had to be moved to another field for the last 14 minutes.

Korea scored first when centre Korea Hyunwoo Kim  jinked through for a try, but the USA came back with two penalties by Chris Lind and a try by wing Drew West. Jin Woo Jang, the Korean scrumhalf, kicked a penalty but No 8 Conrad Bontager scored a try to make the score 18-10 to the USA at the break.

Flank Injo Hwang scored a try for Korea, Lind a penalty for the USA, and then Yu Hoon Kim struck for Korea, scoring a hat-trick of tries in ten minutes to take Korea out to a winning 30-21 lead.

After the teams had emerged from desert darkness, prop Sean Pike scored for the USA, but Korea were home.

Afterwards the Korean captain Kunkyu Han said: “I enjoyed playing today. We tackled well today against physical opponents. Dubai is very nice, I have enjoyed my time here and hope to come back.”

Scorers:

For Korea:
Tries: Hyunwoo Kim, Injo Hwang, Yu Hoon Kim 3
Con: Jin Woo Jang
Pen: Jin Woo Jang

For USA:
Tries: Drew West, Conrad Bontager, Sean Pike
Cons: Chris Lind 2
Pens: Chris Lind 3

Namibia vs Chinese Taipei, 57-10

Namibia led 24-0 at half-time and they scored their fifth try immediately after the break.

In the first half Namibian centre Robert Bergh went over after 12 minutes, followed quickly by right wing Simataa Khama. Two more tries just before half-time by lock Jacobus Visagie and scrum half Keeane Wellmann, both converted by Gregory Bezuidenhout, made the score 24-0.

Khama got his second try at the start of the second half and then came another four – by prop Cornelius Myburgh, No.8 Corné Eigelaar, replacement flank Peter-Alan Alchin, and replacement prop Gerhard Claassen.

For the Chinese centre Shiuan-Fu Su kicked a dropped goal and centre Pen-Chiao Hung got an intercept try.

Afterwards Namibia's captain PJ Erasmus said: “That was a nice game to play, the boys enjoyed it, especially as it was our last time together as an Under 19 side.” 

The Chinese Taipei captain Chieh-Yu Chiang said: “This was a very hard game for us, but we're not unhappy with our performance in the tournament as a whole. We've learned a lot and we're improving.”

Scorers:

For Namibia:
Tries: Robert Bergh, Keeane Wellman, Simataa Khama 2, Jacobus Visagie, Cornelius Myburgh, Corné Eigelaar, Peter-Alan Alchin, Gerhard Claassen
Cons: Gregory Bezuidenhout 4, Lourens Smit 2

For Chinese Taipei:
Try: Pen-Chiao Hung
Con: Shiuan-Fu Su
Drop: Shiuan-Fu Su

Chile vs Russia, 10-9

It was a close encounter at the Sharjah Wanderers ground as Chile scored the only try of the match to win by a single point.

The result was in doubt right up to the final whistle, when a long-range penalty could have swung the result in Russia’s favour, but full back Alexander Zhyravlev’s kick from more than 40 metres – one of the last of the match – just shaved past the far post.

The decisive score was flyhalf Benjamin Omegna’s tricky conversion into the wind after a try by centre Ricardo Sifri, putting Chile ahead at 10-9 with eight minutes left.

The try was well-deserved, the product of successive attacking phases after Russia had seemed to have the edge at 9-3 from three penalties by Zhyravlev, two in the first half and the third 16 minutes into the second.

The half-time score was 6-3 to Russia.

Despite the low score it was an enterprising and exciting match.

Chile's captain Juan Pablo Perrotta said afterwards: “We used our pressure well and the crowd helped us to victory.”

Scorers:

For Chile:
Try: Ricardo Sifri
Con: Benjamin Omegna
Pen: Benjamin Omegna

For Russia:
Pens: Alexander Zhyravlev

Georgia vs Uruguay, 38-18

Uruguay led 18-12 at the break but Georgia had the wind at their backs in the second half. The South Americans did not score again while the little Lelos scored 26 points.

Georgia raced to a 12-3 lead mid way through the first half after front row Anton Peikrishvili had crashed over next to the uprights, and shortly after flyhalf Lasha Khmaladze had picked up a loose ball to create a try for wing Shalva Shioshvili.

A yellow card to Georgia’s hooker Beka Mekokishvili in the 25th minute was all it took for Uruguay to spring into action though and two tries in as many minutes put them right back in the game, the first by centre Santiago Arocena, who scored in the corner.

Uruguay’s second try was the most dramatic, however, and followed after two Georgian players crashed into each other from a clearance kick, only for the ball to bounce into the arms of wing Pedro Regules who raced away and scored untouched.

Georgia's captain Guram Kavtidze said: “We were very happy with the win. The second half was very good for us and we played some good rugby.”

Uruguay's captain Santiago Di Meo said: “We thought we could win the game but we tired in the second half. They used the wind in the second half. We had opportunities but we lost control of the ball at crucial times.”

Scorers:

For Georgia:
Tries: Anton Peikrishvili 2, Shalva Shioshvili, Giorgi Lomsadze 2, Alexander Nizharadze
Cons: Alexander Todua 2, Levan Genebashvili 2

For Ururguay:
Tries: Pedro Regules, Santiago Arocena,
Con: Diego Viana
Pen: Diego Viana 2

Italy vs Canada, 35-8

Italy finished with a flourish in third spot. They led Canada 16-3 at half-time playing with the wind, and did even better in the second half playing into the wind.

The only try in the first half was scored by flank Simone Favaro from a line-out error by the Canadians. That with three penalties and a conversion by Davide Duca gave Italy their comfortable lead.

There was a lengthy hold-up to the match eight minutes before half time when Canada lock Will Simpson was stretchered off after suffering an injury.

Wing Francesco Fronzoni scored a great individual try in the second half to set Italy on a victory course. The conversion made it 23-3.

Canada then got its only try of the match when flank Eugene Lavrinenko scored from close quarters. 28-8. Italy also got one from close in before they got lone from far out. For that last try fullback Tito Tebaldi broke in his own half, raced to the Canadian 22 and sent wing Andrea Bacchetti over for a thrilling try.

Canada's captain Ben Jones said: “I really thought we could win this game and I cannot put my finger on what happened. Maybe we were over confident. Overall, it’s been a great experience but tonight we did not come out well enough as a team.”

Italy's captain Alberto Dal Corso said: “Tonight has been another great battle. Third place was not our original target but tonight we can be happy, especially in the second half when we played with great heart. Credit to the Canadians, they played well.”

Scorers:

For Italy:
Tries: Simone Favaro, Francesco Fronzoni, Lorenzo Innocenti, Andrea Bacchetti 
Cons: Davide Duca 3
Pens: Davide Duca 3

For Canada:
Try: Eugene Lavrinenko
Pen: Matt Evans

Fiji vs Tonga, 22-14

They were playing for a place in Division A next year which meant it was for more than just the honour of winning their division.

Tonga scored first but the 12 points scored by Seremaia Tagicakibau were too much for the men from the kingdom further east.

The teams were level at half-time after Fiji had scored a late try, but the second half belonged to the Fijians.

Tonga scored after only two minutes when flyhalf Richard Havili broke and raced 15 metres to score at the ;posts.

Wing Viliami Hakalo  was close soon afterwards but then the Fijians started to out the pressure on. and were rewarded when flank Sakenasa Aca was given an overlap, crossed in the corner and turned towards the posts. That made the score 7-all at half-time.

After Tagicakibau had given Fiji the lead with a penalty he made a break from his 22 which ended when lock James Brown scored in the corner.

Tagicakibau set up the next try when his chip was fielded by fullback Iliesa Keresoni who gave the ball back to Tagicakibau who scored under the posts, converting his own try.

Tonga finished the scoring with a converted try by replacement Semisi Fotu in injury time.

Fiji's captain Andrew Durutalo said: “We stuck to our game plan and that’s why we won. The plan was not to get involved in too many rucks and to move the ball wide. Sevens rugby accounted for more than 50 per cent of our success, it was a large influence in the way we moved the ball and in creating space out wide.”

Tonga's captain Paula Havea: “Our boys put in a great effort, they really wanted to win but after the first try in the second half some heads went down.”

Scorers:

For Fiji:
Tries: Sakenasa Aca, James Brown,  Seremaia Tagicakibau
Cons: Seremaia Tagicakibau 2
Pen:  Seremaia Tagicakibau

For Tonga:
Tries: Richard Havili, Semisi Fotu
Con: Samisioni Fisilau 2

With thanks to the IRB