2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship

2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship

Tournament details
Host nation	Italy
Date	2–20 June 2015
No. of nations	12
Final positions
Champions	New Zealand
Runner-up	England
Third place	South Africa
Fourth place	France
← 2014 2016 →

The 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship was the eighth annual international rugby union competition for Under 20 national teams. The event was organised for the second time in Italy by rugby's governing body, World Rugby.^[1] A total of twelve nations played in the tournament, with matches hosted by Parma, Viadana, Calvisano and Cremona, host city of the final match. England went into the tournament as the two-time defending champions after they successfully defended their title in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship (as the tournament was known through 2014). This was the first U20 Championship held after the sport's governing body changed its name from the International Rugby Board to the current World Rugby.

New Zealand won the title after a 21–16 win against England in the final.^[2][3][4]

Venues

The championship was held across four locations. Parma, Viadana and Calvisano hosted pool matches, with the latter two hosting semi-finals for each bracket (teams 1–4, 5–8 and 9–12). Cremona hosted the final and two of the remaining positional play-offs, with Calvisano hosting the others.

Teams

The following teams participated in the 2015 World Rugby U20 Championship:

Pool	Team	No. of Tournaments	Position 2014	Position 2015	Notes
A	England	8	1st	2nd	Runners-up
A	France	8	6th	4th
A	Japan	3	DNP	10th	Promoted from 2014 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy
A	Wales	8	7th	6th
B	Australia	8	5th	5th
B	Italy	6	11th	11th
B	South Africa	8	2nd	3rd	Bronze Medal Winner
B	Samoa	6	8th	12th	Relegated to 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy
C	Argentina	8	9th	9th
C	Ireland	8	4th	7th
C	New Zealand	8	3rd	1st	Champions
C	Scotland	8	10th	8th

Match officials

The following officials oversaw the thirty matches:^[5][6][7]

• TMO Shaun Veldsman travelled to Italy for the semi-finals and the final.

Pool stage

The playing schedule and pools were announced on 25 November 2014.^[8]

All times are in Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)

Points were awarded in the Pool Stage via the standard points system:

• 4 points for a win
• 2 points for a draw
• 1 bonus scoring point for scoring 4 or more tries
• 1 bonus losing point for losing by 7 or less points
• 0 points for a loss above 7 points

If at completion of the Pool Stage two or more teams were level on points, the following tiebreakers were applied:

1. The winner of the Match in which the two tied Teams have played each other;
2. The Team which has the best difference between points scored for and points scored against in all its Pool Matches;
3. The Team which has the best difference between tries scored for and tries scored against in all its Pool Matches;
4. The Team which has scored most points in all its Pool Matches;
5. The Team which has scored most tries in all its Pool Matches; and
6. If none of the above produce a result, then it will be resolved with a toss of a coin.

Pld = matches played, W = matches won, D = draws, L = losses, PF = match points for, PA = match points against, PD = Points difference between match points for and match points against, TF = tries for, TA = tries against, BP = bonus points, Pts = pool points

Pool A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BP	Pts
France	3	3	0	0	96	35	+61	13	4	1	13
England	3	2	0	1	107	53	+54	15	6	2	10
Wales	3	1	0	2	92	52	+40	12	7	1	5
Japan	3	0	0	3	17	172	–155	2	26	0	0

	2 June 2015	France	19 – 10	Wales	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	16:30	Try: Bonneval 7' m Ramos 13' c Blanc 57' c Con: Ramos (2/3) 14', 58'	Stats[9]	Try: Smith 62' c Con: Evans (1/1) 63' Pen: Jones (1/2) 30'	Referee: Matthew Carley

	2 June 2015	England	59 – 7	Japan	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	18:30	Try: Perkins 1' c Walker 5' c Townsend (2) 8' m, 31' m Morris (2) 13' c, 18' c Howe 38' c Skinner 42' c Witty 80' c Con: Jennings (7/9) 2', 6', 14', 19', 39', 43', 80' Cards: Max Clark 61' to 71'	Stats[10]	Try: Penalty try 61' c Con: Noguchi (1/1) 62'	Referee: Elia Rizzo

	6 June 2015	France	47 – 7	Japan	Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
	16:30	Try: Bethune 3' c Delannoy 9' c Doubrere 46' m Cancoriet 61' c Chat 63' c Fouyssac (2) 67' c, 79 'c Con: Belleau (2/2) 4', 10' Meret (4/5) 62', 64', 68', 80' Cards: Quentin Bethune 15' to 25' Lucas Bachelier 74' to 80'	Stats[11]	Try: Penalty try 17' c Con: Noguchi (1/1) 18'	Referee: Ben Whitehouse

	6 June 2015	England	30 – 16	Wales	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	20:30	Try: Clarke 9' c Packman 17' m Townsend 27' c Skinner 64' m Con: Jennings (2/3) 10', 28' Pen: Jennings (2/2) 1', 34' Cards: Morris 3' to 13'	Stats[12]	Try: Watkin 38' c Con: Evans (1/1) 39' Pen: Evans (3/3) 31', 41', 60' Cards: Phillips 73' to 80'	Referee: Brendon Pickerill

	10 June 2015	England	18 – 30	France	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	16:30	Try: Chisholm 34' m Penalty try 60' c Con: Evans (1/1) 61' Pen: Jennings (1/1) 23' Evans (1/1) 66'	Stats[13]	Try: Penaud (2) 18' c, 25' c Estorge 44' c Con: Ramos (3/3) 19', 26', 45' Pen: Ramos (2/2) 5', 70' Drop: Meret (1/1) 77'	Referee: Gary Conway

	10 June 2015	Wales	66 – 3	Japan	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	18:30	Try: Evans 6' c Wyn Benham (2) 10' c, 31' c Phillips 19' c Adams (2) 40' m, 77' c Beard 45' c Howells 47' m Belcher 65' c Davies 72' c Con: Evans (5/7) 6', 10', 20', 32', 46' D. Jones (3/3) 66', 73', 79'	Stats[14]	Pen: Noguchi (1/1) 3' Cards: Kosuke Urabe 27' to 37'	Referee: Lloyd Linton

Pool B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BP	Pts
South Africa	3	3	0	0	119	26	+93	16	4	3	15
Australia	3	2	0	1	78	83	–5	11	11	2	10
Samoa	3	1	0	2	60	98	–38	7	14	0	4
Italy	3	0	0	3	44	94	–50	7	12	2	2

	2 June 2015	Australia	34 – 22	Samoa	Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
	18:30	Try: Gunn 10' m Placid (2) 27' c, 68' c Deegan 49' m Kellaway 74' c Con: Deegan (3/5) 28', 69', 75' Pen: Deegan (1/2) 2' Cards: Lukhan Lealaiauloto-Tui 36' to 46'	Stats[15]	Try: Winterstein 40' m Dowsing 64' c Adams 71' c Con: Falaniko (2/2) 65', 72' Pen: Ioane (1/2) 18' Cards: Mike Tamoaieta 48' to 58'	Referee: Shuhei Kubo

	2 June 2015	South Africa	33 – 5	Italy	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	20:30	Try: Van der Merwe 15' c Penalty try 34' c Liebenberg 37' c Bothma 65' m Van Wyk 78' c Con: Thomson (3/3) 16', 35', 38' De Beer (1/2) 79' Cards: Snyman 74' to 80'	Stats[16]	Try: Agbasse 11' m Cards: Davide Zanetti 33' to 43'	Referee: Gary Conway

	6 June 2015	South Africa	40 – 8	Samoa	Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
	18:30	Try: Du Toit 7' c Jenkins 35' m Liebenberg 46' m Zas 49' c Penalty try 80' c Con: Thomson (2/4) 8', 50' De Beer (1/1) 80' Pen: Thomson (3/3) 4', 22', 40'	Stats[17]	Try: Leilua 66' m Pen: Falaniko (1/1) 29'	Referee: Elia Rizzo

	6 June 2015	Australia	31 – 15	Italy	Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
	20:30	Try: Wilkin 31' c Tuttle 34' c Orr 37' c Korczyk 63' c Con: Deegan (4/4) 32', 35', 38', 64' Pen: Deegan (1/1) 26'	Stats[18]	Try: Masato 22' m Luus 66' c Con: Minozzi (1/2) 67' Pen: Minozzi (1/3) 4'	Referee: Juan Sylvestre

	10 June 2015	Samoa	30 – 24	Italy	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	18:30	Try: Leger 4'c Falaniko 20' c Tuiomanufili 69' c Con: Falaniko (3/3) 5', 21', 71' Pen: Falaniko (3/3) 15', 35', 59'	Stats[19]	Try: Giammarioli 2' c Polledri 31' m Ferraro 44' c Zanetti 51' m Con: Minozzi (2/4) 3', 45'	Referee: William Houston

	10 June 2015	South Africa	46 – 13	Australia	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	20:30	Try: Vermeulen 2' c Nché 17' c Ngcukana 43' c Thomson 54' c Jenkins 59' m Zas 68' c Con: Thomson (4/4) 4', 18', 44', 56' De Beer (1/1) 69' Pen: Thomson (2/2) 12', 36' Cards: Grant Hermanus 74' to 80' Dan du Preez 78' to 80'	Stats[20]	Try: Paia'aua 62' m Kellaway 78' m Pen: Deegan (1/1) 8' Cards: Cameron Orr 49' to 59'	Referee: Ben Whitehouse

Pool C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BP	Pts
New Zealand	3	3	0	0	125	42	+83	16	3	2	14
Ireland	3	2	0	1	45	61	–16	2	6	0	8
Scotland	3	1	0	2	59	98	–39	6	11	1	5
Argentina	3	0	0	3	51	79	–28	3	7	2	2

	2 June 2015	Ireland	18 – 16	Argentina	Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
	16:30	Pen: Carbery (5/6) 3', 35', 40', 46', 55' Quinlan (1/1) 80'	Stats[21]	Try: Portillo 42' c Con: Miotti (1/1) 43' Pen: Miotti (1/3) 5' Boffelli (1/1) 77' Drop: Miotti (1/1) 29'	Referee: Lloyd Linton

	2 June 2015	New Zealand	68 – 10	Scotland	Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
	20:30	Try: Bridge 18' c Li 23' c Ioane 36' c Gibson 40' c Karpik 47' c Jo. Goodhue 54' m Cridge 60' c Hunt 70' m Faiane 76' c Con: Hunt (7/9) 19', 24', 37', 42', 48', 61', 77' Pen: Hunt (3/4) 6', 29', 68' Cards: Jack Goodhue 9' to 19'	Stats[22]	Try: Carmichael 15' c Con: Hutchinson (1/1) 16' Pen: Hutchinson (1/1) 10' Cards: Archie Russell 46' to 56'	Referee: Juan Sylvestre

	6 June 2015	Ireland	24 – 20	Scotland	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	16:30	Try: Dardis 11' m Oliver 30' c Con: Carbery (1/2) 31' Pen: Carbery (3/3) 20', 42', 64' Quinlan (1/1) 77' Cards: Conor Oliver 70' to 80'	Stats[23]	Try: Carmichael 61' c Knott 80' Con: Kinghorn (2/2) 62', 80' Pen: Horne (2/2) 36', 45'	Referee: Will Houston

	6 June 2015	New Zealand	32 – 29	Argentina	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	18:30	Try: Laulala 27' c Wainui 36' m Tahuriorangi 63' c Ioane 65' c Con: Hunt (1/2) 28' Black (2/2) 64', 66' Pen: Hunt (1/1) 14' Black (1/1) 77' Cards: Vince Aso 11' to 21' Luteru Laulala 52' to 62'	Stats[24]	Try: Paolucci (2) 69', 74' Con: Miotti (2/2) 70', 75' Pen: Boffelli (3/5) 10', 17', 20' Miotti (1/1) 61' Drop: Ferro (1/2) 34' Cards: Ignacio Calles 50' to 60'	Referee: Shuhei Kubo

	10 June 2015	Argentina	6 – 29	Scotland	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	16:30	Pen: Miotti (2/4) 21', 35' Cards: Gasparri 19' to 29'	Stats[25]	Try: Nairn 44' c Galloway 52' m Wynne 68' m Con: Kinghorn (1/3) 45' Pen: Kinghorn (4/4) 5', 8', 19', 41'	Referee: Brendon Pickerill

	10 June 2015	New Zealand	25 – 3	Ireland	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	20:30	Try: Li (2) 17' m, 43' c Gibson 47' c Con: Black (2/3) 44', 49' Pen: Black (2/2) 29', 40'	Stats[26]	Pen: Carbery (1/3) 15'	Referee: Matthew Carley

Standings after pool stage

Overall Standings
Pool Pos	Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BP	Pts
B1	1	South Africa	3	3	0	0	119	26	+93	16	4	3	15
C1	2	New Zealand	3	3	0	0	125	42	+83	16	3	2	14
A1	3	France	3	3	0	0	96	35	+61	13	4	1	13
A2	4	England	3	2	0	1	107	53	+54	15	5	2	10
B2	5	Australia	3	2	0	1	78	83	−5	11	11	2	10
C2	6	Ireland	3	2	0	1	45	61	−16	2	6	0	8
A3	7	Wales	3	1	0	2	92	52	+40	12	7	1	5
C3	8	Scotland	3	1	0	2	59	98	−39	6	11	1	5
B3	9	Samoa	3	1	0	2	60	98	−38	7	14	0	4
C4	10	Argentina	3	0	0	3	51	79	−28	3	7	2	2
B4	11	Italy	3	0	0	3	44	94	−50	7	12	2	2
A4	12	Japan	3	0	0	3	17	172	−155	2	26	0	0

Knockout stage

9–12th place play-offs

	Semi-finals				9th place
	Samoa	12
	Japan	29
					Japan	21
					Argentina	38
	Argentina	46
	Italy	5
					11th place
					Samoa	19
					Italy	20

Semi-finals

	15 June 2015	Argentina	46 – 5	Italy	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	16:30	Try: Miotti 9' c Velez (2) 13' c, 18' m Bartoloni 31' c Granella 40' m Widmer 55' m Gauna 72' c Con: Miotti (3/5) 9', 14', 32' Boffelli (1/2) 73' Pen: Boffelli (1/3) 50' Cards: Jose Deheza 49' to 59'	Stats[27]	Try: Luus 44' m	Referee: Lloyd Linton

	15 June 2015	Samoa	12 – 29	Japan	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	18:30	Try: Kueffner-Mulitalo 51' c Con: Falaniko (1/1) 52' c Winterstein 60' m Pen: Falaniko (1/2) 52' Cards: Jonathan Fa'auli 78' to 80'	Stats[28]	Try: Makisi 25' m Noguchi 38' c Horikosh 47' c Penalty try 55' c Con: Noguchi (3/4) 39', 48', 56' Pen: Noguchi (1/1) 74'	Referee: Gary Conway

11th place game

	20 June 2015	Samoa	19 – 20	Italy	Stadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona
	16:30	Try: Tiatia 15' c Con: Falaniko (1/1) 16' Pen: Falaniko (4/8) 12', 19', 45', 60' Cards: Josh Dowsing 51' to 61' Junior Halafuka 54' to 64' Jarred Adams 70' to 80'	Stats[29]	Try: Penalty try (2) 57' c, 73' c Con: Azzolini (2/2) 58', 74' Pen: Azzolini (1/1) 3' Minozzi (1/1) 24' Cards: Renato Giammarioli 42' to 52'	Referee: Gary Conway

9th place game

	20 June 2015	Japan	21 – 38	Argentina	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	18:30	Try: Tatafu (2) 5' c, 51' c Yatomi 33' c Con: Noguchi (3/3) 6', 34', 52' Cards: Yusuke Kajimura 72' to 80'	Stats[30]	Try: Deheza (2) 20' m, 39' c Achilli 26' m Larrague 58' c Gauna 69' c Boffelli 76' c Con: Boffelli (4/6) 40', 59', 70', 77'	Referee: Elia Rizzo

5–8th place play-offs

	Semi-finals				5th place
	Australia	31
	Scotland	21
					Australia	28
					Wales	23
	Ireland	12
	Wales	22
					7th place
					Scotland	9
					Ireland	17

Semi-finals

	15 June 2015	Australia	31 – 21	Scotland	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	16:30	Try: Placid (2) 22' m, 54' c Lealaiauloto-Tui 43' m McInerney 47' c Sandell 62' c Con: Deegan (3/5) 48', 55', 63' Cards: Connal McInerney 80' to 80'	Stats[31]	Try: Coombes 5' c Galloway 73' c Penalty try 79' c Con: Kinghorn (1/1) 6' Horne (2/2) 74', 80' Cards: Rory Hutchinson 50' to 60'	Referee: Elia Rizzo

	15 June 2015	Ireland	12 – 22	Wales	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	20:30	Try: Gaffney 44' Rock 72' m Con: Carbery (1/2) 45'	Stats[32]	Try: Howells 8' m Davies 14' c Adams 19' c Con: Evans (2/3) 15', 19' Pen: Evans (1/1) 38' Cards: Ollie Griffiths 60' to 70'	Referee: William Houston

7th place game

	20 June 2015	Scotland	9 – 17	Ireland	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	20:30	Pen: Kinghorn (2/4) 6', 24' Horne (1/1) 69'	Stats[33]	Try: Fitzgerald (2) 9' c, 72' c Con: Carbery (1/1) 10' Ringrose (1/1) 73' Pen: Ringrose (1/1) 50'	Referee: Shuhei Kubo

5th place game

	20 June 2015	Australia	28 – 23	Wales	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
	16:30	Try: Korczyk 5' c Lealaiaulolo-Tui 19' c Fainga'a 62' c Placid 66' c Con: Deegan (4/4) 6', 20', 63', 67' Cards: Campbell Magnay  76'	Stats[34]	Try: Adams 14' m Wyn Benham 68' m Lewis 79' c Con: Jones (1/3) 80' Pen: Jones (2/3) 48', 56' Cards: Ryan Elias 33' to 43'	Referee: Lloyd Linton

Finals

	Semi-finals				Final
	South Africa	20
	England	28
					England	16
					New Zealand	21
	New Zealand	45
	France	7
					3rd place
					South Africa	31
					France	18

Semi-finals

	15 June 2015	New Zealand	45 – 7	France	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	18:30	Try: Li (3) 11' c, 30' c, 53' c Ioane (2) 27' c, 34' c Goodhue 78' c Con: Black (6/6) 12', 28', 31', 35', 54', 79' Pen: Black (1/1) 4'	Stats[35]	Try: Castets 8' c Con: Ramos (1/1) 9'	Referee: Ben Whitehouse

	15 June 2015	South Africa	20 – 28	England	Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
	20:30	Try: Jaer 77' c Du Plessis 79' c Con: Thomson (2/2) 77', 79' Pen: Thomson (2/3) 7', 20' Cards: Hanro Liebenberg 11' to 21' Jason Jenkins 22' to 32'	Stats[36]	Try: Chisholm 25' m Penalty try 39' c Tompkins 70' c Con: Jennings (2/3) 40', 71' Pen: Jennings (3/5) 4', 10', 54' Cards: Nick Tompkins 72' to 80'	Referee: Brendon Pickerill

3rd place game

	20 June 2015	France	18 – 31	South Africa	Stadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona
	18:30	Try: Bonneval 11' m Delannoy 42' m Blanc 48' m Pen: Meret (1/1) 8'	Stats[37]	Try: Du Toit 21' c Jenkins 28' c Du Preez (2) 33' c, 38' c Con: Thomson (4/4) 22', 29', 35', 39' Pen: Thomson (1/3) 66' Cards: Hanro Liebenberg 75' to 80'	Referee: Matthew Carley

Final

	20 June 2015	New Zealand	21 – 16	England	Stadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona
	20:30	Try: Aso 25' m Ioane 45' c Con: Black (1/2) 46' Pen: Black (3/4) 8', 36', 58' Cards: Akira Ioane 48' to 58'	Stats[38]	Try: Clark 3' c Con: Jennings (1/1) 5' Pen: Jennings (3/4) 12', 49', 56'	Referee: Will Houston

References

External links

• Official website