Rugby World Cup U20: Lost to New Zealand, Blues out of semi-finals
A suffocating end to the match. While she thought she had secured a precious win against New Zealand in the semi-final of the Under-20 World Cup in South Africa, the French fifteen lost to a last-gasp penalty from Simpson after the siren (26-27). The referee needed to see the video to award the three points to the New Zealanders, after his assistants initially saw the ball go wide of the goalposts. He finally upheld the penalty, and handed victory to the Baby Blacks.
This defeat represents a serious setback for the Blues, who now have to win big against Wales to continue defending their three titles. Wales have another point in Group A thanks to their 31-10 win over Spain. The top three in the group will qualify for the semi-finals, plus the best second-placed team. The French must therefore win the bonus to hope to reach the quarter-finals.
Big regret
They will undoubtedly have big regrets on Thursday night. Stronger in the early going, the Bleuets scored the first try of the game through fullback Xan Mousques. Two penalties from Hugo Royce allowed the French to head back to the dressing room 11-0 up. The New Zealanders then came back with better intentions and took advantage of the many chances the French missed to get back in front. Tries from Joe Kerry-Carrabba and Mathis Verte did not prevent them taking the lead in the dying moments thanks to four tries and the famous final penalty.
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