The second round of the World Rugby U20 Challenger has concluded with the hosts Chile recording a second consecutive victory from the bonus point, while Belgium, Brazil and Portugal also ended the day on the winning side.
Although there is still one round to go, Chile and Belgium are in pole position for a place in the finals, while Brazil and Portugal are still in the game with little chance of overtaking their rivals.
Portugal 69-12 Namibia
After a shock defeat to Belgium, Portugal got back on track with a 69-12 win over Namibia.
U20 Lobos crossed for the opening try after just two minutes when winger Rodrigo Socorro found space to score and Rodrigo Gingado scored his first conversion of the afternoon.
Hooker Thomas Ribeiro followed with a double, increasing the advantage of the European team to 19-0. Namibia they had more than a few chances to reduce the deficit and, after several attempts, finally found a way over the line when winger Jayden Jansen successfully got out of the cross and touched the ball down.
Portugal added two more tries before the break through Ribeiro and Salvador Cabral, while Namibia also added another through Dominique Isaacs.
Unfortunately for the young Welwitschias, nothing went their way in the next 40 minutes as Portugal added five more tries.
With the playmaking pair of Manuel Cadilhe and Rodrigo Gingado pulling the strings, the U20 Lobos added their sixth through Socorro, who raced to the goal. Vasco Trindade added his name to the scoresheet next, while Ribeiro grabbed his fourth try of the afternoon. Cadilhe, João Menéres and Luke Pereira then completed the rout with a try.
Despite the win, Portugal’s chances of reaching the final are slim, as Belgium only need a draw against Namibia.
Brazil 22-10 Hong Kong China
After an extremely competitive contest, Brazil deservedly beat China from Hong Kong and the Curumins won 22-10 to climb to second place in Group A.
The score remained unchanged for the first 20 minutes, with both sides unable to gain an advantage, although Brazil missed a penalty opportunity. However, they capitalized on the run to score their first try of the game as winger Gabriel Mohalem crossed the line.
10 more minutes until the break, Hong Kong China they looked for a way in, increasing the pressure from the set-piece, but came away empty-handed each time due to Brazil’s ferocious defense and their ability to steal the ball.
To make matters worse for the Asian side, Brazil extended their lead after a second try, this time from captain and number 8 Francisco da Rosa, plus a conversion from Cauã Tenória. Just when it looked like Curuminsi would go into half-time with a 12-point lead, Tivizio Depoid stepped in to give Hong Kong China some consolation. The winger broke through the line and dodged a couple of tackles before diving into the goal box for what could be the try of the run.
After the break, Brazil regained control of the game, scoring another try after a lineout, with ruckman Derick Estêvão Pio breaking several tackles before grounding the ball down. Hong Kong China continued to fight hard for the next 25 minutes and collected their second hat-trick of the day through Sam Blackburn, who went on a rampage from more than 30 metres.
As the contest turned into a close battle, the South Americans converted for their fourth try from the move, leaving Hong Kong China unable to stop the momentum or match their opponents’ raw power.
Brazil head into the final round knowing they must beat Chile to book a spot in the final.
Belgium 41-12 Canada
Belgium took a big step towards the final with an emphatic 41-12 win over Canada in a superb performance.
Despite the final result, Canada they went into the half-time break 7-6 up after a try from scrum-half Chris Rose, while all of Belgium’s points came from the boot of Charles Depasse.
However, the indiscipline of the North Americans, combined with the brutal efficiency of the Belgians, changed the complexion of the game. The U20 Diables Noirs struck just five minutes after play resumed, captain Thomas Ironside Wickham completing the team’s sensational move.
Mylo Bouckaert followed and Depasse converted both tries and added a penalty to increase Belgium’s lead to 23-7.
Although Canada managed to get back into Belgium’s goal frame through Liam Kinghorn, it wasn’t enough to save the game. The European side kept their composure and, with Canada down to two players on the bench, it was only a matter of time before Depasse converted two more penalties, with Iyad Meksoud and Thomas Wickham scoring each try.
After pulling off a stunning win over Portugal, the U20 Diables Noirs produced another fine performance and are now just 80 minutes away from qualifying for the finals.
Chile 50-9 Romania
Chile is just one small step away from the final after the victory Romania 50-9 in the final match of the second round of the World Rugby U20 Challenger.
U20 Stejarii were the first to go ahead through Antonio Mitrea’s penalty, but it didn’t last long as the hosts hit back a few minutes later. Chile slowly took control of possession and, from the line, set up a spot-kick, marching forward until Rafael Silva’s cross went over the line. Jaime Soler added the conversion.
Romania added three more points but Chile tried twice more through Silva and Ignacio Valdés to go into the break 21-6.
In the second half, the U20 Kondores continued to build momentum, despite Romania again scoring the first goal through Mitrea’s boot. Winger Lukas Winkler grounded the ball into the corner after scrum-half Santiago Wood’s sensational play before Tomás Queirolo burst through a small gap for Chile’s fifth try of the evening.
Aggressive, quick counter-defense from the hosts was too much for Romania and the visitors conceded several turnovers which killed any attempt to turn the game around.
With captain Marco Alvan steering a tight and relentless ship, Chile added another 15 points before full-time through tries from Santiago Wood and Cristian Riquelme, plus five points from the boot of Soler.
Having taken 10 points from two games, Chile only need a draw against Brazil to reach the final, while Curumins need a bonus point to overtake their South American rivals.
Round 3 (October 12)
Pool A
Romania vs Hong Kong China (14:00 BST)
Chile v Brazil (23:00 BST)
Pool B
Canada v Portugal (17:00 BST)
Belgium v Namibia (20:00 BST)
