France into U-20 World Cup final after stunning win over New Zealand

The French U-20 team will defend their world title next Friday, July 19, in South Africa. The big winners over the New Zealanders in the World Cup semi-final on Sunday in a stunning match (31-55), the Les Bleus – three-time champions in 2018, 2019 and 2019 – will face England in the final, who lost their final match a little earlier than Ireland (31-20).

Against the “Baby Blacks”, coach Sébastien Calvet's players got their revenge. It must be said that the latter almost stepped on the door of those same New Zealanders during the second match of the World Cup, losing by one point and going down to the wire (26-27). This setback deprived them of winning the offensive bonus against Wales last week, which they did.

A mess of tests and presentations

But we found a completely different French team this Sunday. At Olympic level, the Bleuets struck hard from the start with a hurt-filled try from the excellent third row of Toulon, Kerry Carrabba (3rd). Five minutes later, the second row of the Provence Rugby (Pro D2) Charlie Gambini arrived at the end of a great French move, initiated by the La Rochelle winger Beausmorin and in which fly-half Reus (8th) shone. The Baby Blacks were astonished by their reaction to the dismissal and relied on a simple game based on fighting. On a carried ball, the New Zealand group collapsed near the French goal and the referee logically awarded a penalty (10th). A double penalty for the Blues who lost the third row of Brive Malaterre, was punished with a yellow card.

The cross continued with the first attempt from Toulouse third-row Castro Ferreira for France (14th) before the Kiwis responded with a trick attempt from scrum-half Pledger (16th). After half an hour, Castro Ferreira again succeeded in scoring his team's fourth attempt and the second after a great pass to the feet of Reus. At the end of the first half, Sébastien Calvet's men led by 20 points.

Castro Ferreira XXL

After returning from the dressing room, the French team did not slow down. Quite the opposite. After a long series of possession, sometimes chaotic, the blue team exceeded the 40-point mark thanks, once again, to Toulouse's Castro Ferreira. The latter, in all good moves, scored his third personal try. What followed was even more chaotic. The Frenchman Boyer-Gallardo was shown a yellow card, and the New Zealander Solomon a red. The Baby Blacks had a chance to score another try in the corner (55). The Tricolores had a good moment of relaxation and, an hour later, Tuivailala conceded another try (60).

Less focused but opportunistic, the Bleuets once again managed to get over the New Zealand goal line thanks to the Brive Ferté full-back, at full speed (63). In a certainly crazy match, the Baby Blacks' Andrew Smith scored a powerful try (66) before Bayonne's Zane Muskie struck again with another pass with the foot of his opening goal, Reus (71), in all good times. Clear winners, they reach the final and will challenge England to try to retain their title.