Chile won the inaugural WR U20 Challenger title after the win Belgium 30-17 in a tense game that had everything. Portugal took a place on the podium after defeating Romania, while Canada finished fifth with a 61-24 win over Brazil. Namibia finished the campaign with a win, putting themselves above China in Hong Kong.
Namibia 53-5 Hong Kong China
In the opening match of the final day at the World Rugby U20 Challenger, Namibia enjoyed their best performance of the tournament to beat China 53-5 in Hong Kong.
The U20 Welwitschias went into half-time with a 17-0 advantage after tries from fullback Wesely Haukong and winger Ethan Sinden, with William Beukes kicking over a penalty and two successful conversions.
Namibia were successful in pushing the Asian opposition into a corner and they could not find a way out. Adding to that, William Beukes’ performance bordered on sensational as the scrum-half was involved in most of Namibia’s key plays in the first half.
Unfortunately for Hong Kong China, the second half did not bring much improvement as Namibia scored five more tries. Despite Fritz Mahn scoring the first and only try of the afternoon two minutes after the restart, Namibia hit back quickly through captain Jano Erasmus, who claimed the next two ends to impose a 31-5 lead with a quarter to go.
Namibia extended their lead further with three more tries, courtesy of Soobramoney Sammy, Bertus Narib and Tjerip Karuhumba. Beukes missed just one conversion all afternoon, adding another penalty and three conversions in the second half.
Canada 61-24 Brazil
In the fifth-place playoff final, Canada i Brazil put on an entertaining show and the North Americans ran out 61-24 winners.
With fans still searching for their seats, Canada scored through Chris Rose; The scrum-half threw a brilliant dummy to elude the Brazilian defense before landing the ball in triumph.
The Maple Leafs extended their lead twice before the break, thanks to center Liam Turnbull and winger Malin Hazle. However, Brazil found their rhythm just before half-time, scoring the first try of the afternoon through Francisco da Rosa, who asserted his physical presence from close range to reach the whitewash.
Believing that victory was still possible, Curumini threw everything into the fight and were rewarded with another 10 points in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Ross bagged a double, while winger Cauã Tenório hit the conversion and penalty to leave Brazil seven points from equaliser.
However, the momentum of the Brazilians came to an abrupt halt. As Canada improved their set piece, they added their fourth five-pointer via substitute hooker Porter Gook, who directed a shot into the Brazilian goal.
Ronin Smith was next up and the utility back made a stunning run, beating five would-be attackers before touching down to give his side an unassailable lead with 18 minutes remaining.
Canada dominated the final quarter, adding four more tries against Brazil. Blair Kinghorn picked up a brace, while Brek Ball and Noah Hudson each chipped in.
Although the score was no longer in doubt, Brazil continued to fight and earned a third try when da Ross crossed for the third time in the match.
Portugal 67-13 Romania
Portugal took home the bronze medal after defeating their European rivals Romania 67-13, ending his campaign in style.
U20 Stejarii struck first when Mihai-Antonio Mitrea scored a penalty five minutes into the game. With third in the game, Portugal piled on the pressure and were rewarded with the first try after a slick attacking combination put them ahead.
Center Tomé Lobo ran in after Guilherme Marques had perfectly cleared a teammate. Vasco Trindade scored his first of six successful conversions on the afternoon.
Whore Tomas Ribeiro followed, scoring from a driving kick before Lobo grabbed his brace after collecting a loose ball, with Rodrigo Socorro and Diego Ferreira adding a try each for his side. Romania were outplayed in every department and only found space in the last three minutes of the first half, which culminated in Mitrea touching down the ball from five meters out.
Portugal started the second half with 14 men, and Socorro was sent to the basket for cynical play, but they still managed to score for the seventh time, this time through Luke Pereira’s side.
Romania had their moments, managing to deal with Portugal’s dominance and even adding a second finish, as Alexandru Boldor headed home from close range to give his side hope in the final 20 minutes.
However, a series of handling errors effectively rolled out the red carpet for Portugal, who scored four more tries before the final whistle. Socorro and Vasco Queiroz each scored twice and Salvador Guimarães scored his first try of the match to seal a 67-13 victory, their biggest U20 victory over their long-time rivals.
Chile 30-17 Belgium
Chile climbed to the top of the World Rugby U20 Challenger, with the hosts beating Belgium 30-17 in an action-packed game.
Belgium opened the scoring in less than a minute, thanks to a successful attack by Oscar Shortal, in a sensational start to the final. Full-back Charles Depasse converted but their seven-point advantage ended four minutes later.
From the 22-metre line, the U20 Kondores began to gain momentum and finally found a way through Santiago Wood, with the scrum-half dodging several tacklers before crossing the line. Jaime Soler equalized with a well-received conversion.
The Chilean center added three more points to give his team the lead for the first time, which he extended in the 17th minute after a sensational solo pass by Rafael Silva.
Belgium reduced the deficit with 13 minutes remaining but conceded a third goal when they were reduced to 14 men after Shortall was sent to the warm-up bin and Silva crossed again.
Mark Alvan’s fortunes changed dramatically in the five minutes before half-time. After scoring his side’s fourth try, the Chilean full-back was shown a 20-minute red card for a challenge. Belgium failed to capitalize on the penalty, and the score remained 27-10 at halftime.
By the 14th, Chile opted for a more pragmatic approach and shot at goal whenever the opportunity presented itself, with Soler successfully adding another three points.
The second half was drenched in anxiety, with neither team finding their rhythm and several promising attacking chances marred by handling errors.
With 10 minutes to go, Belgium finally made the scoreboard a problem when utility back Samuel Meksoud came off the bench to add a second five-pointer. Depasse converted from the corner, bringing his team within 14 points of the lead.
Unfortunately for the European nation, it wasn’t enough to change the outcome. Chile closed the ranks well and applied huge defensive pressure, enough to secure victory and the title in the inaugural World Rugby U20 Challenger.
In the end, it was a fair result for a team that dominated from the first minute, and Chile once again showed that they are on the rise at all levels.
