Saturday sees the conclusion of this year’s Under-20s World Championship, with all U20s Six Nations sides battling it out on finals day in Argentina.
Whether it be for glory, pride, or safety, each match harbours huge significance and all eyes will be on the tournament’s showpiece finale to see who will be crowned top dog.
Defending champions France look to retain their crown against Australia, with the Junior Wallabies aiming to claim their inaugural title having reached the final for the first time since 2010.
Three-time champions England face Wales for fifth spot, after missing out on a semi-final berth despite having only being beaten once in the competition.
Ireland – who defeated England on the opening day – face New Zealand for seventh place, while Italy battle Georgia for ninth. Scotland will fight Fiji in the 11th place play-off, with both teams winless in the competition and the losers facing the prospect of dropping into the Trophy next year.
Ahead of the action, we take a look at the players to watch from each of the U20s Six Nations sides.
Scotland – Ewan Ashman
Despite Scotland facing the prospect of relegation to the Trophy, Sale hooker Ashman is the tournament’s joint-highest try scorer with five dot-downs to his name.
The 19-year-old – who was born in Toronto to an English mother and a Scottish father – has started three of Scotland’s four games so far and has notched five of their 13 scores in the competition.
The Scots are still chasing their first win of the championship and will be hoping Ashman can continue his rich vein of form in the crucial clash against Fiji.
Italy – Paolo Garbisi
Fly-half Paolo Garbisi has been Italy’s talisman in a campaign that has so far yielded just one win from four matches.
The 19-year-old scored a try and three conversions to steer his side to victory over Scotland, while he was also at the heart of the action as the Azzurrini lost out to England by just a point.
Having scored 20 of Italy’s points, head coach Alessandro Troncon will need Garbisi at his best if the Italians are to topple Georgia in the fight for ninth place.
Ireland – Jake Flannery
Flannery is poised to start his 10th consecutive game for Ireland against New Zealand in a tournament where he has demonstrated invaluable versatility.
With Harry Byrne having missed the championship through injury, full-back Flannery has occasionally dropped in at fly-half and will replace Munster team-mate Ben Healy at no.10 for the final match.
The 20-year-old has made eight offloads so far in the competition, and his game management and ball-handling ability has seen him emerge as one of Noel McNamara’s most crucial assets.
England – Josh Hodge
Newcastle Falcons academy product Josh Hodge leads the competition’s ranks for points scored with 45 and has proved a shining light for Steve Bates’ side.
Comfortable on the wing or at full-back, Hodge began the tournament on the bench but has produced a string of scintillating displays to cement his spot in the starting XV.
He kicked 16 points in England’s emphatic 56-33 win over Australia, and clinched victory over Ireland with a late conversion in the fight for a shot at fifth on Monday.
Wales – Tommy Reffell
Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell tops the tournament’s chart for the number of tackles with 66, and he will be relishing the battle in the back row against old rivals England.
The 20-year-old has started all four of Wales’ matches and is sure to play a part in the fight for fifth place.
As well as his commanding defensive attributes, Reffell demonstrated his ability at the other end of the field with a try in his side’s 44-28 win over Fiji
France – Louis Carbonel Toulon fly-half Louis Carbonel is the only U20s Six Nations representative among the nominations for the breakthrough player of the tournament award, and his performances have helped fire France to their second successive final.
Having helped Les Bleuets to the title last year, the 20-year-old has used his experience to guide his side to the last two.
He scored 17 of France’s 32 points in their win over Wales in Pool A, before kicking five penalties to inspire his side to a 20-7 victory over South Africa in the semi-finals.
