The match: 21-13
Never two without three? Indeed. Never three without four? Unfortunately, no. The Bleuets, winners of the last three Under-20 World Cups (2018, 2019, 2023) have not managed to extend the series. Friday, in Cape Town, they stumbled on the last step, subdued by a much more robust English collective who did not let them breathe.
As expected, the Bleuets were drawn into a rag-picker fight. Largely superior in the scrum, their opponents found the fault in force, chaining the percussions in the axis until Joe Bailey flattened the first try of the final (36th). Hugo Reus limited the damage by bringing back an undisciplined and ball-starved French team to one point at half-time (6-7).
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This is the first time that the French U20 team has lost in a World Cup final. They won their first three in 2018 (33-25 once morest England), 2019 (24-23 once morest Australia) and 2023 (50-14 once morest Ireland).
But the second period was even more to the advantage of an England far from being brilliant but cruelly efficient, in the wake of an ultra-aggressive defense and a diabolical conquest. Each time it advanced into the tricolor 22 meters, it came out with points. Arthur Green converted yet another devastating scrum (53rd), while the scorer Sean Kerr widened the gap with penalties offered by his big men.
Unable to find the solution, contrary to what it had shown during its superb performance in the semi-finals once morest the Baby Blacks (55-31), this French team concluded its adventure with a brilliant action, and a superb try flattened by Mathis Ferté following the siren (80th + 1). To repaint the final score with a less violent magnitude, and finish on an artistic note that resembles this group a little more.
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England have won their fourth U20 World Cup following their first three titles in 2013, 2014 and 2016. They are the second most successful nation, behind New Zealand (6 titles) and ahead of France (3 titles).
The player: Reus, the idle captain
Praised for his composure before the final, the captain of the Bleuets was unable to prevent his team from sinking, shaken up like never before in this World Cup by the English overpowering side. While he was effective in penalty shootouts (3/4), he also sometimes lacked lucidity by sending a direct ball into touch that brought England back into the scoring zone, or a clearance from less than 10 meters. “I take some responsibility,” declared the fly-half following the match. Without hiding, like a leader.
The Fact: The Unfinished Symphony
Before a final anecdotal skirmish, the Bleuets had scored a sumptuous try in this final, but history will not remember it since it was disallowed (rightly) following video refereeing. In the 20th minute, on a ball recovered in front of the French 22 meters, Hugo Reus distributed a cross with his foot as he usually does towards the right wing. Fabien Brau-Boirie then Maxence Biasotto improved it by advancing into the opposing camp.
Then the action bounced back on the open side: Robin Taccola, Joé Quere Karaba and Barnabé Massa passed the ball in good timing to Xan Mousques. Well offset, the Bayonne winger lifted his ball for a Mathis Ferté launched at full speed who ran into the in-goal area. But a slight forward pass from Mathis Castro-Ferreira a few seconds earlier forced Takehito Namekawa to refuse the try.
