England Clinches First Under-20 World Cup Since 2016

England ended France’s reign at the Under-20 World Cup with a 21-13 victory securing their first title since 2016. The final, held in Cape Town, saw England’s lock Joe Bailey score the opening try, giving England a narrow lead at halftime, despite two penalties from France’s Hugo Reus. In the second half, England’s forwards dominated, with Arthur Green scoring their second try after picking up from a scrum. Sean Kerr added three penalties to extend England’s lead, and despite a late consolation try from Mathis Ferte, France’s bid for a fourth consecutive title fell short.

This victory caps a successful year for England, who also won the Under-20 Six Nations earlier. The triumph marks England’s fourth Under-20 World Cup title, their first final appearance in six years. England had previously come from behind to defeat France and win the Six Nations in March and they faced a formidable challenge from France, who had dominated the Under-20 World Cup. France reached the final with a strong 55-31 win over New Zealand.

France initially took the lead with a penalty from Reus, but England grew stronger after having a try from Ferte disallowed for a knock-on. Bailey scored England’s first legitimate try following a line-out, and Green’s try, built from a powerful scrum, secured their victory. Kerr’s penalties sealed the win and the title. England captain Finn Carnduff expressed his pride in the team, describing the group as “brothers for life” and praising their resilience and adherence to their game plan despite early mistakes.

Line-ups:

• England: Jones; Redshaw, Waghorn, Kerr, Wills; Coen, Allan; Opoku-Fordjour, Wright, Fasogbon, Bailey, Kpoku, Carnduff (capt), Pollock, James.
• France: Ferte; Biasotto, Brau-Boirie, Taccola, Mousques; Reus, Carbonneau; Julien, Massa, Duchene, Gambini, Mezou, Quere-Karaba, Malaterre, Castro-Ferreira.