Follow all the Oceania Rugby U20 Championship action here.
New Zealand def. Fiji (74-5)
Four-time winners New Zealand began their quest for redemption in style, winning the opening match of the 2022 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship 74-5 against Fiji.
Despite the poor weather conditions, the Junior All Blacks ran in 11 tries to one with Crusaders winger Macca Springer crossing over in the corner to open the scoring in the 13th minute.
Scrumhalf Noah Hotham dominated early, making multiple line breaks before eventually scoring in the 31st minute after Fijian winger Semiti Kaisau dropped the ball on halfway and Hotham sprinted away to extend the lead to 20-0.
Fiji suffered poor discipline during the first half, which continued early in the second when Ropate Rinakama received a red card after a dangerous high tackle on Kiwi fullback Finn Hurley. New Zealand capitalised immediately with captain George Bell crossing over from a rolling maul.
However, Fiji grabbed one back immediately when the ball slipped through Cahill Tahlor’s hands off the kick-off allowing winger Jope Naseyara to score Fiji’s only points.
An error off the kick-off ended Fiji’s momentum, with Bell crossing for his second minutes later, followed by four more tries in the next 15 minutes.
Chiefs flyhalf Lucas Cashmore took over the kicking duties in the second half, adding an impressive team try to his points tally after a cross-field kick on the 50m to Hurley, allowed the Highlanders fullback to sidestep three defenders, break into the 22, and after a series of passes, put Cashmore over the line.
Millar ended the scoring in the 78th minute after a knockdown attempt bounced straight into his arms on the goal line, with the error summing up Fiji’s night.
New Zealand 74 Tries: Springer, Vikena, Hotham, Bell (2), Lakai, Lennox, Sititi, Rova, Cashmore, Millar Conversions: Millar (4), Cashmore (4) Penalty Goals: Millar
Fiji 5 Tries: Naseyara
Argentina def. Australia (24-21) Argentina pulled off a major upset on Day 1 of the 2022 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship to defeat Australia by three points in the dying stages of the match.
Los Pumitas dominated the Junior Wallabies scrum to score a penalty try in the sixth minute.
Mason Gordon immediately hit back, scoring two penalties in the next five minutes before a try to Mac Grealy in the 19th minute put Australia in front by four.
Argentina continued to dominate the scrum, securing a second penalty try in the 28th minute after Remsy
Lemisio collapsed the scrum, earning himself a yellow card after repeated infringements.
Despite being a man down, Gordon scored another penalty minutes later and a tight first half ended 14-all.
Six minutes into the second half Argentina crossed the try line for the first time, with Eliseo Chiavassa capitalising on a goal-line pile-up to sneak the ball over the line, directly under the posts.
Argentina’s seven-point lead remained intact for another 30 minutes before Australia earned their own penalty try when Antonio Elias collapsed a rolling maul.
A man up with three minutes remaining, momentum was with the Junior Wallabies as they forced a turnover at the lineout and a knock-on at the ruck, before Los Pumitas captain and scrumhalf Mateo Albanese won a penalty against Wallabies prop Paddy Tagg.
Argentina won the subsequent lineout and a penalty from the rolling maul, allowing Agustin Sascaro to take a three-point lead with 15 seconds remaining.
Kicking off after the siren, Argentina knocked the ball on but before crossing over the sideline, Gordon picked up the ball and pulled off a miraculous behind-the-back flick pass to keep the ball in play.
Grealy made a semi-break and won a penalty 25m out. Instead of settling for the draw, Australian captain Ned Slack-Smith pointed to the sideline, but Gordon bit off too much, sending the ball dead and gifting Argentina a historic win.
Argentina (24) Tries: Penalty Try (2), Chiavassa Conversions: Suarez Folch Penalty Goals: Sascaro
Australia (21) Tries: Grealy, Penalty Try Penalty Goals: Gordon (3)
The matches will be live on Stan Sport (Australia), Spark Sport (New Zealand) and ESPN (Argentina AL Latam and South America).
Tickets are available via Ticketek.com
2022 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship Schedule (Sunshine Coast Stadium)
Match Round 1: Friday 1 July 2022 New Zealand v Fiji – kick off 5pm Australia v Argentina – kick off 7pm
Match Round 2: Tuesday 5 July 2022 New Zealand v Argentina – kick off 2pm Australia v Fiji – kick off 4pm
Match Round 3: Sunday 10 July 2022 Fiji v Argentina – kick off 2pm Australia v New Zealand – kick off 4pm
All times local
