PREVIEW: JUNIOR WORLD CUP FINAL
There is no doubting that the only two teams left standing are deserving of their place in the Final.
Ireland made history this past Monday as they booked their place in a first ever Junior World Cup Final with a 37-7 victory over Argentina in the first semifinal before England made easy weather of their Final four opponents with a 39-17 victory over the Junior Springboks on the same day.
Both England and Ireland will fancy their chances of winning the most treasured prize which Junior rugby has to offer after both teams won all their games on route to the Final.
England Under-20 have history on their side having won the tournament in 2013 and 2014 and they will be favourites to lift the trophy on home soil.
There will be many future stars and interesting match-ups to watch out for on Saturday. England Under-20 captain Harry Mallinder has proved a sensation at this tournament with the flyhalf showing his class with some exceptional tactical kicking abilities and distribution skills. He has contributed with 45 points throughout his team’s campaign which leaves him second on the points chart, behind South Africa Under-20 fullback Curwin Bosch.
For Ireland Under-20, flyhalf Johnny McPhillips will be key to their chances having contributed 41 points during the course of the tournament. Another big danger man for the Ireland Under-20 team is try scoring machine Jacob Stockdale who has crossed the white line on no less than four occasions throughout the competition.
Meanwhile, Argentina Under-20 and the Junior Springboks will be fighting it out for third place when the two teams meet in the 3rd place play-off.
Argentina Under-20 beat the South Africa Under-20 team 19-13 when they played each other in a pool match two weeks ago and they will be looking to do the double over the Springboks Under-20 team, however the Junior Springboks will be eager to put in a big performance and they might have the edge in this one.
In other matches, the 2015 Junior World Champions New Zealand will be fighting it out for fifth place on Saturday when they take on Australia Under-20 at the same venue where the Final will be contested.
New Zealand Under-20 put in a powerful display of running rugby on route to a 71-12 hammering of Wales Under-20 in their fifth place semifinal on Monday and they will look to put in a similar performance against their trans-Tasman rivals.
Italy Under-20 and Japan Under-20 will contest the 11th place play-off while Georgia Under-20 and France Under-20 will play each other in the 9th place play-off before Scotland Under-20 and Wales Under-20 go to battle in the 7th place play-off.
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