U20 JWC

[morepork]

That was a great...second half. Both teams reverting to type with some insane run it from your own goal line madness.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Argentina currently 17 v 0 up vs South Africa

[morepork]

The fucking music...

[Danno]

Picking off their lineout for fun

[Epaminondas Pules]

31 v 12 final score. Tough conditions but Argentina were just a level above in every facet. The Baby Boks just looked muscle bound and little else for large parts. They are far better than that, but today was very poor from them and excellent from Argentina. Makes up for the Rugby Championship loss earlier in the year.

[Epaminondas Pules]

And Italy beat Australia 17 v 12

[Timbo]

Just need a bonus point against SA to top the group now. Think selection in certain positions is going to be incredibly difficult, lots of players putting their hands up to get picked.

[Epaminondas Pules]

ENGLAND U20 MEN’S TEAM TO FACE SOUTH AFRICA

15 Ben Redshaw
14 Jack Bracken
13 Ben Waghorn
12 Sean Kerr
11 Alex Wills
10 Ben Coen
9 Ollie Allan
1 Asher Opoku-Fordjour
2 Craig Wright
3 Billy Sela
4 Joe Bailey
5 Junior Kpoku
6 Finn Carnduff (c)
7 Henry Pollock
8 Nathan Michelow
REPLACEMENTS
16 James Isaacs
17 James Halliwell
18 Afolabi Fasogbon
19 Olamide Sodeke
20 Kane James
21 Lucas Friday
22 Angus Hall
23 Ioan Jones

[Which Tyler]

[Puja]

ENGLAND U20 MEN’S TEAM TO FACE SOUTH AFRICA

15 Ben Redshaw
14 Jack Bracken
13 Ben Waghorn
12 Sean Kerr
11 Alex Wills
10 Ben Coen
9 Ollie Allan
1 Asher Opoku-Fordjour
2 Craig Wright
3 Billy Sela
4 Joe Bailey
5 Junior Kpoku
6 Finn Carnduff (c)
7 Henry Pollock
8 Nathan Michelow
REPLACEMENTS
16 James Isaacs
17 James Halliwell
18 Afolabi Fasogbon
19 Olamide Sodeke
20 Kane James
21 Lucas Friday
22 Angus Hall
23 Ioan Jones

Aren't both Halliwell and Fasogbon tightheads? I didn't know either of those could play on the other side.

Puja

[fivepointer]

They are. Assuming Miell is injured hence one of the TH's will have to move across.

[Timbo]

In the last game Fasogbon came on for Miell at h/t and Halliwell moved across to loosehead. They had AOF still on the bench so they must be comfortable with Haliwell playing there.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Halliwell can play both. Primarily a tighthead but can do a job on the other side.

[Slater582]

Just need a bonus point against SA to top the group now. Think selection in certain positions is going to be incredibly difficult, lots of players putting their hands up to get picked.

Conceivably England, South Africa and Argentina could all finish level on points at the end of the pool phase.

Anyone know what the tiebreaker is in that case?

[Mellsblue]

How many tightheads you have in the squad.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Just need a bonus point against SA to top the group now. Think selection in certain positions is going to be incredibly difficult, lots of players putting their hands up to get picked.

Conceivably England, South Africa and Argentina could all finish level on points at the end of the pool phase.

Anyone know what the tiebreaker is in that case?

Points difference first, then head to head results. So if England and Arg end up equal on points and points diff then England progress because they won the head to head.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Just need a bonus point against SA to top the group now. Think selection in certain positions is going to be incredibly difficult, lots of players putting their hands up to get picked.

Conceivably England, South Africa and Argentina could all finish level on points at the end of the pool phase.

Anyone know what the tiebreaker is in that case?

Points difference first, then head to head results. So if England and Arg end up equal on points and points diff then England progress because they won the head to head.

From World Rugby:
POOL A
The equation facing New Zealand on day three could not be simpler – avoid defeat against Spain in the final match at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch and they will be through to the semi-finals as pool winners.

A draw would take New Zealand to 12 points and even if Wales beat France with a try bonus point to match that tally, the six-time champions would finish top on the head-to-head rule having beaten the Welsh 41-34 on day one.

However, depending on the result of the earlier match between defending champions France and Wales, New Zealand could actually lose and still top the pool.

Should Les Bleuets beat Wales without a bonus point, then New Zealand would progress regardless of their result against Spain, thanks to their dramatic 27-26 win against the French in round two.

If France secure a five-point victory, then New Zealand would need only one point to guarantee top spot and a first semi-final since 2018.

Wales start the day in second place in Pool A and would put pressure on New Zealand with victory against France.

If they pick up a first win in the fixture since 2020 without a bonus point, then New Zealand need one point to qualify. Should Wales secure all five match points then Jono Gibbes’ side need a draw or two bonus points to top the pool.

Any victory on Tuesday would put Wales in the box seat to reach the semi-finals as the best runner-up.

Having lost both of their opening matches, Spain are the only team in Pool A that cannot make the semi-finals.

POOL B
Ireland take on Australia in a winner-takes-all contest for top spot in Pool B.

Despite losing 17-12 to Italy on day two, Australia would leapfrog Ireland – last year’s runners-up – with victory as long as they deny their opponents more than one losing bonus point.

If Ireland were to finish within seven points of Australia and score at least four tries, then the Junior Wallabies would have to secure all five match points to move above them.

That is because if Australia win and the two sides finish level on 10 or 11 points, it would be the Junior Wallabies who advance by virtue of beating Ireland.

Ireland know that simply avoiding defeat will see them through to the semi-finals as pool winners.

Although they pulled off a famous win against Australia in round two, Italy are unlikely to progress even if they beat Georgia with a bonus point and the Junior Wallabies lose to Ireland.

That is because the other teams with one victory from their two matches so far, and in contention for the best runners-up spot, have secured at least one bonus point. Italy have not.

Georgia start day three with one solitary point and cannot finish higher than third in Pool B, regardless of the other result due to their head-to-head record against Australia.

POOL C
England take on South Africa in the final match of day three at Athlone Sports Stadium needing only one bonus point to secure their place in the semi-finals.

Should they lose and fail to score four tries or not finish within seven points of the Junior Springboks, however, they could be overhauled by either of the two teams below them.

The hosts will know what they need to do to make the semi-finals at the start of their match against England, given Argentina will already have played Fiji.

A bonus-point victory against England, while denying their opponents one, would mean South Africa climb into first place unless Argentina have earlier claimed a five-point victory against Fiji.

Should England, South Africa and Argentina all finish day three on 10 points then points difference will be used to determine the pool winner with the head-to-head record used to split the remaining two teams.

England currently lead the way in this regard, with a points difference of +56, while South Africa’s is +31 and Los Pumitas’ is zero.

If all three of those teams have the same points difference then the nation with the best try difference will finish top. The next determining factors are points scored and tries scored.

Argentina, therefore, need a big win against Fiji to have any hope of climbing into first place.

Fiji cannot qualify for the semi-finals having lost their opening two matches to England and South Africa.

[Puja]

The 1pm Ireland and Australia called off because the pitch is water-logged, at the same stadium that Wales v France and England v South Africa are due to happen later on today. World Rugby are saying "all other matches are to be advised on a match-by-match basis, updates to follow", but it doesn't look promising...

ETA. Just looking at the tables, if all three games are scrubbed off, then I think that would put Argentina through as best runner up (assuming they get a bonus point against Fiji) and knock France and South Africa out. Would likely be NZ vs Arg and England vs Ireland.

Puja

[Epaminondas Pules]

Argentina beat Fiji 52 v 12. Giving them 10 points and a points diff of +40

[Epaminondas Pules]

The 1pm Ireland and Australia called off because the pitch is water-logged, at the same stadium that Wales v France and England v South Africa are due to happen later on today. World Rugby are saying "all other matches are to be advised on a match-by-match basis, updates to follow", but it doesn't look promising...

ETA. Just looking at the tables, if all three games are scrubbed off, then I think that would put Argentina through as best runner up (assuming they get a bonus point against Fiji) and knock France and South Africa out. Would likely be NZ vs Arg and England vs Ireland.

Puja

Update from World Rugby is that the pitch has drained sufficiently and the other two matches will go ahead as planned.

[Puja]

The 1pm Ireland and Australia called off because the pitch is water-logged, at the same stadium that Wales v France and England v South Africa are due to happen later on today. World Rugby are saying "all other matches are to be advised on a match-by-match basis, updates to follow", but it doesn't look promising...

ETA. Just looking at the tables, if all three games are scrubbed off, then I think that would put Argentina through as best runner up (assuming they get a bonus point against Fiji) and knock France and South Africa out. Would likely be NZ vs Arg and England vs Ireland.

Puja

Update from World Rugby is that the pitch has drained sufficiently and the other two matches will go ahead as planned.

Hard lines for Australia, but good news for Wales and France (more likely France), for whom a draw is the only thing stopping them from surpassing Argentina.

Can't imagine the pitch is going to be in terrific shape by the time it gets to England vs South Africa. Good thing we've got a good pack.

Puja

[Epaminondas Pules]

The pitch is fucking awful to start with.

[Banquo]

The 1pm Ireland and Australia called off because the pitch is water-logged, at the same stadium that Wales v France and England v South Africa are due to happen later on today. World Rugby are saying "all other matches are to be advised on a match-by-match basis, updates to follow", but it doesn't look promising...

ETA. Just looking at the tables, if all three games are scrubbed off, then I think that would put Argentina through as best runner up (assuming they get a bonus point against Fiji) and knock France and South Africa out. Would likely be NZ vs Arg and England vs Ireland.

Puja

Update from World Rugby is that the pitch has drained sufficiently and the other two matches will go ahead as planned.

Hard lines for Australia, but good news for Wales and France (more likely France), for whom a draw is the only thing stopping them from surpassing Argentina.

Can't imagine the pitch is going to be in terrific shape by the time it gets to England vs South Africa. Good thing we've got a good pack.

Puja

and wellies

[Epaminondas Pules]

Georgia beat Italy 28 v 17

[Epaminondas Pules]

Ref definitely has his eyes squarely on us.