CARDIFF :France beat Scotland 45-40 in a thrilling Paris try-fest to win the Under-20s Six Nations title for the first time since 2018 on Friday after Grand Slam-chasing England were stunned 23-13 by Wales in Cardiff.
A day before the French senior team take on Scotland seeking a win for the title, the next generation showed the future is in good hands with an entertaining seven-try display in a match where an impressive Scotland team scored five tries themselves.
The Welsh senior team, seeking to end a 16-game losing streak when they host England on Saturday, will also be inspired by their youngsters, who pulled off a richly-deserved victory over an England side seeking a second successive title.
Simeli Daunivucu had France on the board in the first minute to set the tone for an open, attacking encounter.
They were leading midway through the second half when the news came through of Wales’s victory, ramping up the atmosphere and the tension as Scotland went toe-to-toe.
Tries from Lyam Akrab, Baptiste Tilloles, Oliver Cowie, Jean Cotarmanac’h and two for Jon Echegaray eventually proved enough for the victory that took France to 20 points and the title.
England finished second on 18, with Wales third on 12.
Italy ended fourth on 10 points after beating Ireland 15-12 on Friday. Scotland were fifth on seven while Ireland, who won Grand Slams in the competition in 2022 and 2023, finished last on six points with only one win to their name.
England, unbeaten at Under-20 level for two years, had been expected to cruise to a clean sweep but though their huge pack were on top for the first 20 minutes, they managed only one try by Ralph McEachran after a brilliant run and offload by Welsh-born hooker Kepu Tuipulotu.
A try by Steffan Emanuel brought Wales level at 13-13 at halftime and the hosts took a shock lead soon after the restart thanks to a spectacular finish in the corner by Harry Rees-Weldon.
England struggled to get back into the game, making repeated handling errors as Wales defended with real aggression, and the hosts took a winning lead with a Harri Wilde penalty 10 minutes from time.
England missed a Grand Slam last year after drawing with Ireland alongside four wins but followed up by claiming the Under-20 World Cup in South Africa.
Henry Pollock, who played in the first two games of this year’s campaign, is on the bench for the seniors against Wales on Saturday when he should win his first cap.
Seniors coach Steve Borthwick said this week that Pollock’s selection was testament to the success of England’s age-grade teams and that he expected many of the current and recent crop to be part of the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
