France are four points clear at the top of the U20 6 Nations table after a second stunning performance in a row.

In Round 2 they put over sixty past Scotland, but they went even further on Friday night with a sensational 78-12 win over Italy.

The young Frenchmen scored twelve tries and they started early through Gervais Corin in the 5^th minute, he would eventually end up with a first half brace. Further scores from Louis Carbonel, Lucas Peyresbangques, Antonin Berruyer, Iban Etcheverry, and an Adrien Seguret brace gave France a stunning 50-0 half time lead.

Inevitably things slowed slightly in the second half, with Italy scoring through Edoardo Iachizzi and Simone Cornelli, but the onslaught continued with Etcheverry completing his brace, while Julien Delbouis and Jean-Baptiste Gros added to that to leave the final score at a stunning 78-12.

One would think that France will be tested much further by England next time out, however England were beaten 24-17 on Friday night by the side that France thrashed last time out, Scotland.

England took a 17-7 lead into the half time break, with Tom Hardwick and Tom Seabrook responding to Scotland’s Ewan Johnson’s try. Gloucester wing Seabrook finished off a wonderful team try for England, which went the length of the field and was finished by a pearl of a crossfield kick from scrum half Rory Brand to Seabrook on the right wing.

The second half could not have been more different though as the entire game changed, with Scotland scoring seventeen unanswered points. Leicester Tigers’ full back Jordan Olowofela saw yellow for England, and Scotland capitalised in style.

On 50 minutes Scotland tighthead Finlay Richardson crossed the whitewash to bring Scotland back into the game. A penalty try followed just over ten minutes later, before just five minutes after that Richardson completed his double for a 24-17.

It was a twenty minute blitz that completely changed the course of the game, with Scotland holding out for their first win of this year’s championship.

Scotland’s next game is away to Ireland at Donnybrook, and the Irish will be desperate for victory after a tough defeat to Wales on Friday night.

It was a thrilling game that ended with a 41-38 victory for Wales that slightly flattered Ireland after a late try from Tommy O’Brien narrowed the gap to just the three points.

Wa;es flew out of the traps with tries from Tom Rogers and Max Williams, and pulled further away through a score from former Sedbergh flanker James Botham.

Heading into half time though, Ireland narrowed the gap to 19-10 thanks to a try from Angus Curtis. That led to a mad cap opening spell to the second half as the two sides exchanged score after score, Leicester Tigers’ Tommy Reffell crossed for Wales but Jack O’Sullivan responded five minutes later for Ireland. Botham then completed his brace five minutes later, with O’Sullivan completing his in response four minutes after that, only for Callum Carson to respond just a minute later for the visitors.

Finally a spell of quiet emerged, which was broked by a 63^rd minute try from Ireland Jonny Stewart. Wales remained ten points clear though, so when O’Brien crossed at the death they still had enough on the board for their second win of the championship.

U20 6 Nations Results:

France 78-12 Italy

Ireland 38-41 Wales

Scotland 24-17 England

Round 3 Table:

Scotland U20 v England U20

Scotland

15 Paddy Dewhirst (Ayr), 14 Rory McMichael (Glasgow Hawks), 13 Stafford McDowall (Ayr, vc), 12 Callum McLelland (Edinburgh Rugby), 11 Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Hawks), 10 Ross Thompson (Glasgow Hawks), 9 Charlie Chapman (Gloucester), 1 Shaun Gunn (Edinburgh Accies), 2 Robbie Smith (Ayr, captain), 3 Finlay Richardson (Edinburgh Accies), 4 Ewan Johnson (Racing 92), 5 Jamie Hodgson (Watsonains), 6 Martin Hughes (Heriots), 7 Guy Graham (Hawick), 8 Devante Onojaife (Northampton Saints).

Replacements: 16 Bradley Clements (Ealing), 17 Nathan McBeth (Lions), 18 Murphy Walker (Dundee HSFP), 19 Marshall Sykes (St Joseph’s College/Northampton Saints), 20. Rory Darge (Melrose), 21 Kaleem Barreto (Marr), 22 Fraser Strachan (Northampton Saints), 23 Logan Trotter (Stirling County).

England

15 Jordan Olowofela (Leicester Tigers),
14 Tom Seabrook (Gloucester),
13 Ollie Lawrence (Bromsgrove & Worcester Warriors),
12 Will Butler (Worcester Warriors, captain),
11 Cadan Murley (Harlequins), 10 Tom Hardwick (Leicester Tigers),
9 Rory Brand (London Irish),
1 Alex Seville (Gloucester),
2 Gabriel Oghre (Wasps),
3 Ehren Painter (Northampton Saints),
4 Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors),
5 Sam Lewis (Leicester Tigers),
6 Josh Basham (Bath),
7 Aaron Hinkley (Gloucester),
8 Sam Moore (Sale Sharks).

Replacements:
16 Beck Cutting (Worcester Warriors),
17 Toby Trinder (Northampton Saints),
18 Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers),
19 James Scott (Worcester Warriors),
20 Sean Reffell (Saracens),
21 Ben White (Leicester Tigers),
22 James Grayson (Northampton Saints),
23 Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints).

Ireland U20 v Wales U20

Ireland

15 Michael Silvester (Dublin University FC/Leinster), 14 Tommy O’Brien (UCD RFC/Leinster, captain), 13 James Hume (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), 12 Angus Curtis (Queen’s University RFC/Ulster), 11 James McCarthy (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), 10 Harry Byrne (UCD RFC/Leinster), 9 Jonny Stewart (Queen’s University RFC/Ulster), 1 Jordan Duggan (Naas RFC/Leinster), 2 Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne FC/ Leinster), 3 Jack Aungier (St. Mary’s College RFC/Leinster), 4 Cormac Daly (Clontarf FC/Leinster), 5 Jack Dunne (Dublin University FC/Leinster), 6 Sean Masterson (Corinthians RFC/Connacht), 7 Matthew Agnew (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), 8 Jack O’Sullivan (UCC RFC/Munster).

Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron (Garryowen FC/Munster), 17 James French (UCC RFC/Munster), 18 Tom O’Toole (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), 19 Charlie Ryan (UCD RFC/Leinster), 20 Ronan Foley (UCD RFC/Leinster), 21 Hugh O’Sullivan (Clontarf FC/Leinster), 22 Conor Dean (St.Mary’s College RFC/Leinster), 23 Angus Kernohan (Ballymena RFC/Ulster).

Wales

15 Cai Evans (Ospreys), 14 Joe Goodchild (Dragons), 13 Callum Carson (Ospreys), 12 Max Llewellyn (Cardiff Blues), 11 Tommy Rogers (Scarlets), 10 Ben Jones (Cardiff Blues), 9 Harri Morgan (Ospreys), 1 Josh Reynolds (Dragons), 2 Iestyn Harris (Cardiff Blues), 3 Rhys Henry (Ospreys), 4 Owen Lloyd (Cardiff Blues), 5 Max Williams (Dragons), 6 Tommy Reffell (Leicester) (c), 7 James Botham (Cardiff Blues), 8 Taine Basham (Dragons).

Replacements: 16 Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues), 17 Dewi Lake (Ospreys), 18 Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets), 19 Jack Pope (Bridgend), 20 Morgan Morris (Ospreys), 21 Dan Babos (Dragons), 22 Ben Thomas (Cardiff Blues), 23 Dafydd Smith (Cardiff Blues).