England will appear in their 6^th World Rugby U20 Championship final in a row on Sunday, facing host nation France who are in their first ever final at this age-group.

The two sides won contrasting semi finals, England winning a points fest and just about resisting a South African fightback for a 32-31 victory. France meanwhile were in a game that felt like fully fledged Test match against New Zealand in Perpignan.

They eventually ran out 16-7 winners in a hugely tense game, but one that saw a wonderful performance from France. In an utterly dominant first half display they only took in a 3-0 lead, but it could have been so much more. In Woki, Bamba, and the outstanding Jordan Joseph they had the three dominant carriers and offloaders in the game, while in Carbonel at ten and Ntamack at 12 they had two classy operators directing proceedings.

The reward for that outstanding intensity and play in the first half came in early second half points as Ntamack finished some good play and Carbonel added the extras for 10-0.

A pair of Carbonel penalties put France in dreamland with fifteen minutes left at 16-0 up. This in New Zealand though, the reigning champions and of course they came back, all Kiwi sides do. With ten minutes on the clock left their outstanding fly half, Plummer, finished a brilliant team move and then converted his own try to give his side a chance.

From there many sides would have capitulated amidst the inevitable Baby Blacks onslaught but the home side held firm and claimed a famous 16-7 victory to send them into the final in Beziers this Sunday.

England meanwhile for a period must have feared going the way of their senior side at the weekend after an early 19-0 lead, secured thanks to tries from Tom Parton, Tom Hardwick, and a brilliant counter attacking score from Ben White, began to be overhauled by South Africa.

They scored tries either side of half time, with Marcus Smith penalties just keeping England with enough momentum. South Africa dominated the second half though and later added a third to narrow things to 25-19. Perhaps the decisive moment came when instead of South Africa scoring a fourth, England turned the tide with a breakaway score from Jordan Olowofela.

It took them to 32-19 ahead with the Smith conversion, meaning South Africa needed two converted scores. They got the two tries, as those memories of Saturday’s senior test came flooding though, but unfortunately for the men in green they could not convert, sending England through to a truly remarkable 6^th final in a row.

Elsewhere there was a key game between two home nations as Scotland and Ireland met in a 9^th-12^th place semi final, with the loser going through to a very worrying relegation play off game on Sunday. Ireland took an early lead but Scotland came flying though for their first win of the campaign, playing some excellent rugby for a 45-29 win. They now play off for 9^th against a Georgia side that narrowly beat Japan 24-22, Ireland meanwhile must beat Japan to avoid relegation in what has been a heavily injury hit campaign.

Wales meanwhile missed out on a 5^th place play off spot as they lost to this impressive Argentina outfit 39-15 in the early kick off. Argentina will face Australia in the 5^th place play off after they beat Italy 44-15, Wales meanwhile will face the Italians, who finished in second place, ahead of Argentina, in England’s Group B.

Finals day takes place on Sunday 17^th June in Beziers, with games running from 10am, with that France v England final at 6pm in front of what will surely be a full house if France’s semi final in Perpignan is anything to go by. For those still here in the UK, the game will be shown live on ITV 4.

World Rugby U20 Championship Finals Day Fixtures (All times BST), Sunday 17^th June:

Ireland v Japan – 11^th Place Play Off – 10am, Beziers

Scotland v Georgia – 9^th Place Play Off – 12.30pm, Beziers

Argentina v Australia – 5^th Place Play Off – 1pm, Beziers

Wales v Italy – 7^th Place Play Off – 3pm, Beziers

South Africa v New Zealand – 3^rd Place Play Off – 3.30pm, Beziers

England v France – Final – 6pm, Beziers

World Rugby U20 Championship Results:

Semi Finals – Tuesday 12^th June

Semis:

New Zealand 7-16 France

England 32-31 South Africa

5th-8th

Wales 15-39 Argentina

Italy 15-44 Australia

9^th-12^th

Ireland 29-45 Scotland

Georgia 24-22 Japan

Round 3:

Group A

Wales 18-17 Japan

New Zealand 27-18 Australia

Group B

Italy 30-26 Argentina

England 35-10 Scotland

Group C

Ireland 20-24 Georgia

South Africa 29-46 France

Round 2:

Group A

Australia 54-19 Japan

New Zealand 42-10 Wales

Group B

Argentina 29-13 Scotland

England 43-5 Italy

Group C

France 24-12 Georgia

South Africa 30-17 Ireland

Round 1:

Group A

New Zealand 67-0 Japan

Wales 26-21 Australia

Group B

England 39-18 Argentina

Italy 27-26 Scotland

Group C

France 26-24 Ireland

South Africa 33-27 Georgia

Group Standings: