Upsets Help Find Semifinalists at Junior Rugby World Championships

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 10, 2014

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New Zealand were the benefactors of a handful of results which has seen them progress to the semifinals from an improbable situation at the Junior Rugby World Championships.  They claim the wild-card spot and progress along with the three pool winners, England, Ireland and South Africa.

The weather acted as a leveller, as tough conditions made it hard for the top teams to execute. A thick haze of rain fell all day, creating slippery conditions underfoot, making a running game hard and handling exceptionally difficult. On top of this, a strong wind blew which challenged the kickers.

It was France's loss to Wales that turned out to be the key result of the day, opening up the wild-card spot for the top second-placed team to either Australia or New Zealand. With Ireland having dispatched Fiji in a brutal encounter earlier in the day, France needed just two competition points to put the semifinals out of reach for the two Australasian teams. 

However, France were unable to overcome a huge defensive effort from Wales, in a game that was tight, both in the scoreline and how it was played. The two sides used their powerful ball runners to try to gain ascendancy, while both half-backs kicked well for field position. Both defences were up to the task though and neither could find an easy way through.

A second-half try proved to be decisive for Wales, allowing them to get out to a 13-3 lead which they would hold for the remainder of the game. It was not enough to get them through to the semifinals, but it was enough to knock France out of contention, after entering the day in such a strong position.

At the same time, the Australians got the bonus-point win over Italy that they needed to put themselves in position to claim the wild-card position. However, Italy showed much of the resilience that has characterised their tournament thus far and held the Australians to just 29 points. This would prove to be cru...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union

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