After a huge opening day on Tuesday, the World Rugby U20 Championships return on Saturday for the second round of games.

Hosted in Argentina, the first round of games saw some huge headlines, not least a 42-26 victory for Ireland over six finals in a row England. It was Ireland’s second defeat of England this year and leaves the group looking very interesting as it containts both an up and coming Italy side and an Australia side that defeated tournament favourites New Zealand earlier in the year.

On Saturday that Group B pits Australia and Ireland together, a good victory for either would put them in a very strong position for a place in the main semi finals, which see the top side in each group plus the best runner up compete.

Ireland have made fairly minimal changes to their side, though unfortunately former Bristol man Iwan Hughes and Munster’s Sean French have both been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to injury. There are just five changes in the backs and two in the forwards for Ireland, while most sides are making fairly wholesale changes.

England meanwhile will face Italy at 7.30pm BST in Santa Fe, Italy performed well against Australia and had another promising Six Nations, England meanwhile are in need of a strong result after Tuesday’s loss to Ireland, which also saw hooker Alfie Barbeary suspended for the remainder of the tournament after his red card, while Manu Vunipola was ruled out of this game due to concussion.

Vunipola is replaced at fly half by Tom De Glanville, who steps up from full back with former Sedbergh star Josh Hodge stepping in there. Exeter Chiefs’ Sam Maunder comes in at scrum half for Ollie Fox, following in the footsteps of his brother Jack, who came on a senior tour to Argentina a couple of years ago.

In the centres Sale Sharks’ Cameron Redpath has a rest so skipper Fraser Dingwall moves in from thirteen to twelve, with former Kirkham Grammar School star Connor Doherty, a clubmate of Redpath’s, coming in at outside centre.

Tom Seabrook moves from the left wing to the right to accommodate another incoming Sale Shark and former Kirkham star, Arron Reed, who starts on the left.

Up front there are six changes for England, only Gloucester openside Aaron Hinkley and Northampton Saints lock Alex Coles remain from Tuesday’s defeat. Exeter Chiefs’ Rus Tuima starts at number 8 with former Wellington College star Josh Basham at 6 and Exeter’s Richard Capstick partnering Coles in the second row. Clubmate Alfie Petch comes in at tighthead with fellow late call up Will Capon at hooker, Worcester’s Kai Owen starts at loosehead.

Group C is another brute of a group, with both New Zealand and South Africa pitted together. Scotland have the unfortunate task of taking on both in their opening two games and though they gave a good account of themselves against South Africa on Tuesday, they still went down 43-19. They now face New Zealand, whose if anything seemed a little disappointed by Tuesday’s 45-13 defeat of Georgia, a sign of just how high they set their standards.

Head Coach Carl Hogg has changed 12 from the side that faced South Africa, and in reality Scotland will surely be targeting the Georgia game on Wednesday as the key one as they bid to avoid the relegation semi finals.

Former Wellington College flyer Rory McMichael moves in from the wing to outside centre while his Heriot’s clubmate Jack Blain remains on the left wing. Racing 92’s Ewan Johnson is the only forward still in the side, he starts in the second row.

Johnson is joined by a number of other Exiles in the side, not least Nathan Chamberlain. The Bristol Bears man skippers the side from fly half, while Robbie McCallum of Spanish side Complutense Cisneros is outside him at 12.

Up front Cardiff Met University’s Will Hurd starts at tighthead, with Durham University’s Jack Hill, a former Sedbergh star, part of an all Exiles back row alongside Sale Sharks’ Teddy Leatherbarrow and Kwagga van Niekerk from the Lions in South Africa.

Hosts Argentina are in Group A and face a Fiji side on Saturday that gave reigning champions France a real game on the opening day. Argentina meanwhile went down in one of the best games of the day to Wales, 30-25, they will be hoping to pick up a good win over Fiji as they bid to make sure they steer clear of those relegation semi finals, especially at their home tournament.

That means that Wales face the tricky task of the reigning champions, France, in Rosario at 5pm BST. It is a key game, where a win for either side would put them in a great position to secure a place in the main semi finals, and reflecting that Wales Head Coach Gareth Williams has made just five changes. Dafyyd Buckland of the Dragons comes in at scrum half for Harri Morgan, with Cardiff Blues’ Max Llewellyn coming in at outside centre for Aneurin Owen, and Scarlets’ Tomi Lewis comes in for Rio Dyer on the right wing. Cardiff Blues’ Ioan Davies remains at full back, with Ospreys’ Cai Evans at fly half again, and Scarlets’ Ryan Conbeer keeps his place on the left wing.

Up front the front row is unchanged with Kemsley Mathias and Ben Warren again either side of captain Dewi Lake at hooker. Dragons’ Ed Scragg comes in to partner Jac Price in the second row, while in the back row Jac Morgan stays at number 8 alongside openside Tommy Reffell of Leicester Tigers. Scarlets’ Iestyn Rees comes in at blindside.

All games live on https://www.world.rugby/u20 with highlights and the final on ITV, all Wales games shown on S4C.

World Rugby U20 Championship Group Standings:

Group A:

Group B:

Group C:

Home Nations Team News:

England

15 Josh Hodge (Newcastle Falcons), 14 Tom Seabrook (Gloucester Rugby), 13 Connor Doherty (Sale Sharks), 12 Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, captain), 11 Arron Reed (Sale Sharks), 10 Tom De Glanville (Bath Rugby), 9 Sam Maunder (Exeter Chiefs), 1 Kai Owen (Worcester Warriors), 2 Will Capon (Bristol Bears), 3 Alfie Petch (Exeter Chiefs), 4 Richard Capstick (Exeter Chiefs), 5 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), 6 Josh Basham (Newcastle Falcons), 7 Aaron Hinkley (Gloucester Rugby), 8 Rusiate Tuima (Exeter Chiefs).

Replacements: 16 Nic Dolly (Sale Sharks), 17 James Kenny (Exeter Chiefs), 18 Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), 19 Olly Adkins (Gloucester Rugby), 20 Joel Kpoku (Saracens), 21 Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors), 22 Tom Willis (Wasps Rugby), 23 Ollie Fox (Yorkshire Carnegie), 24 Luke James (Sale Sharks), 25 Cameron Redpath (Sale Sharks), 26 Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints).

Ireland

15 Rob Russell (Dublin University/Leinster), 14 Angus Kernohan (Queen’s University/Ulster), 13 Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster), 12 Stewart Moore (Malone/Ulster), 11 Jonathan Wren (Cork Constitution/Munster), 10 Jake Flannery (Shannon/Munster), 9 Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster), 1 Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster), 2 Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians/Connacht), 3 Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster), 4 Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster, captain), 5 Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster), 6 David McCann (Banbridge/Ulster), 7 Ronan Watters (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), 8 John Hodnett (UCC/Munster).

Replacements: 16 John McKee (Old Belvedere/Leinster), 17 Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster), 18 Charlie Ward (Clontarf/Leinster), 19 Declan Adamson (Clontarf/Leinster), 20 Niall Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht), 22 Ciaran Booth (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby), 23 Thomas Ahern (Shannon/Munster), 24 Colm Reilly (Buccaneers/Connacht), 25 Ben Healy (Garryowen/Munster), 26 Cormac Foley (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).

Scotland

15 Ollie Smith (Ayr), 14 Lomond MacPherson (Watsonians), 13 Rory McMichael (Heriot’s), 12 Robbie McCallum (Complutense Cisneros), 11 Jack Blain (Heriot’s), 10 Nathan Chamberlain (Bristol Bears, captain), 9 Murray Scott (Watsonians), 1 Andrew Nimmo (Glasgow Hawks), 2 Rory Jackson (Edinburgh Academy), 3 Will Hurd (Cardiff Metropolitan University), 4 Ewan Johnson (Racing 92), 5 Ross Bundy (Stirling County), 6 Jack Hill (Durham University), 7 Teddy Leatherbarrow (Sale Sharks), 8 Kwagga van Niekerk (Lions).

Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks), 17 Murphy Walker (Stirling County), 18 Euan McLaren (Ayr), 19 Mak Wilson (Melrose), 20 Cameron Henderson (Stirling County), 21 Marshall Sykes (Ayr), 22 Tom Marshall (Newcastle Falcons), 23 Roan Frostwick (Currie Chieftains), 24 Connor Boyle (Watsonians), 25 Ross Thompson (Glasgow Hawks), 26 Grant Hughes (Stirling County), 27 Cameron Anderson (Wasps), 28 Matt Davidson (London Scottish).

Wales

15 Ioan Dyer (Cardiff Blues), 14 Tomi Lewis (Scarlets), 13 Max Llewellyn (Cardiff Blues), 12 Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler (Ospreys), 11 Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets), 10 Cai Evans (Ospreys), 9 Dafydd Buckland (Dragons), 1 Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets), 2 Dewi Lake (Ospreys, captain), 3 Ben Warren (Cardiff Blues), 4 Ed Scragg (Dragons), 5 Jac Price (Scarlets), 6 Iestyn Rees (Scarlets), 7 Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), 8 Jac Morgan (Aberavon/Scarlets).

Replacements: 16 Will Griffiths (Ospreys), 17 Garin Lloyd (Ospreys), 18 Rhys Davies (Ospreys), 19 Tom Devine (Dragons), 20 Nick English (Bristol Bears), 21 Morgan Jones (Scarlets), 22 Lennon Greggains (Dragons), 23 Harri Morgan (Ospreys), 24 Sam Costelow (Leicester Tigers), 25 Deon Smith (Dragons), 26 Rio Dyer (Dragons).

Fixtures/Results

Matchday 1 – Tuesday 4^th June:

Group A

Argentina 25-30 Wales

France 36-20 Fiji

Group B

Australia 36-12 Italy

England 26-42 Ireland

Group C

New Zealand 45-13 Georgia

South Africa 43-19 Scotland

Matchday 2 – Saturday 8^th June:

Racecourse Stadium, Rosario

South Africa v Georgia – Group C, 2.30pm

France v Wales – Group A, 5pm

New Zealand v Scotland – Group C, 7.30pm

Club de Rugby Ateneo Inmaculada, Santa Fe

Australia v Ireland – Group B, 2.30pm

Argentina v Fiji – Group A, 5pm

England v Italy – Group B, 7.30pm

Matchday 3 – Wednesday 12^th June:

Racecourse Stadium, Rosario

Georgia v Scotland – Group C, 2.30pm

France v Argentina – Group A, 5pm

South Africa v New Zealand – Group C, 7.30pm

Club de Rugby Ateneo Inmaculada, Santa Fe

Italy v Ireland – Group B, 2.30pm

Wales v Fiji – Group A, 5pm

England v Australia – Group B, 7.30pm

Matchday 4 – Monday 17^th June (Semi Finals):

Racecourse Stadium, Rosario

5^th v 8^th, 2.30pm

2^nd v 3^rd, 5pm

1^st v 4^th, 7.30pm

Club Old Resian, Rosario

10^th v 11^th, 2.30pm

9^th v 12^th, 5pm

6^th v 7^th, 7.30pm

Matchday 5 – Saturday 22^nd June (Finals):

Racecourse Stadium, Rosario

5^th Place Final, 2.30pm

3^rd Place Final, 5pm

World Rugby U20 Championship Final, 7.30pm

Club Old Resian, Rosario

11^th Place Final, 2.30pm

9^th Place Final, 5pm

7^th Place Final, 7.30pm