U20 Rugby World Cup: France crowned for the third time in a row by beating Ireland

What fireworks! The France under-20 rugby team won the World Cup by largely dominating Ireland (50-14) in the final on Friday, its third title in a row after 2018 and 2019 before the Covid pandemic n cancels subsequent editions. Thanks to this victory, obtained in Cape Town (South Africa) on National Day, France joined New Zealand on the list of crowned teams three times in a row (New Zealand won four titles between 2008 and 2011) .

Above all, these Bleuets, authors of 36 tries in this World Cup, show the way to their elders from the XV of France, less than two months from the World Cup at home (September 8 – October 28). “In a final, you have to give everything for the team, get all your guts out”, reacted after the meeting at the microphone of Equipe TV, the third line of Grenoble Marko Gazzotti, voted best player of the tournament and one of the great revelations of this World Cup.

This great success, obtained thanks to seven tries, also erases their second place in the Six Nations Tournament behind these same Irish, authors of a Grand Slam, who had beaten them narrowly (31-33). That is to say if they have made progress since!

Thanks to the Jiffs

Their career also demonstrates the great value of French-style training, but also the benefits of the “Jiff rule” in the league, which obliges French clubs to field an average of at least 16 young people from training courses per game sheet at the end of the season. As in the semi-final against England, the teammates of Lenni Nouchi, an exemplary captain, were coldly picked off by the Irish before taking the match on their own, especially in the second half, then taking off. Authors of a faultless course in the group stage (15 points scored out of 15 possible), the proteges of Sébastien Calvet had climbed into the semi-finals without firing a shot.

Better, they had impressed by scoring eleven tries against Japan (73-12), five against New Zealand (35-14) and six against Wales (43-19), while practicing an iron defense. Only their indiscipline, with two yellow cards per game, was a black spot in the group stage before the French pulled themselves together in the semi-finals, taking no cards against England. Trailing 14-24 at half-time, they then showed solidarity and strength of character, captain Lenni Nouchi explaining that the players had “never doubted”, to finally turn the tide (53-21) with seven more trials entered.

Gazzotti and Posolo Tuilagi, the strong men

During this competition, which the Blueberries said they experienced in a very good-natured, even schoolboy atmosphere, some players stood out. The second row of Perpignan Posolo Tuilagi first of all: with his extraordinary size (1.94 m, 149 kg), as powerful as he is mobile, the son of former Samoan international Henry Tuilagi has made a name for himself. The third line then: composed of Montpellier Lenni Nouchi, Rochelais Oscar Jégou and Gazzotti, it made its power and efficiency speak, especially in touch.

And what about the hinge, impeccable, formed by the scrum half of Clermont Baptiste Jauneau and the opener of La Rochelle Hugo Reus, imperial at the foot and best director of this World Cup (60 points), but also from the center of Bordeaux- Bègles Nicolas Depoortère, the competition’s top try scorer (5) or Brive back Mathis Ferté, who scored twice on Friday. Names to remember and which will shine in the Top 14 from the start of the school year for the most part: watch your eyes!