Do or die for Junior Boks in must-win game against England

It is officially do or die time for the Junior Boks with them needing a big win over England in their final pool match at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Tuesday night (kick-off 7pm), if they are to have any chance of making it into the World Rugby U20 Championship semifinals.

The three pool winners will progress automatically to the competition’s semis, and they will be joined by the best placed second ranked team out of the three pools.

This makes it extremely hard for the Junior Boks to progress if they don’t top their pool, but to do that they will have to beat current pool C toppers England with a bonus point and by 13 points, and hope that Argentina don’t thrash Fiji by enough to pass their points difference.

It isn’t unfamiliar ground for this team however, as they find themselves in exactly the same position they did during last year’s tournament.

Same situation

On that occasion the Junior Boks beat Georgia in their first game, were upset by Italy in their second and then beat Argentina in their third to edge out Georgia for top spot on points difference.

This time they opened with a massive win over Fiji, but were stunned by Argentina in the second game and they now have to claim a comfortable bonus point win against England while not allowing them to get a bonus point, and hope other results go their way.

If the Junior Boks don’t finish top it is unlikely that they will finish as the best second placed team, as defending champions France (on six points) and Wales (on seven points) in pool A, are in the driving seat for that position.

France and Wales will battle it out in their final pool match and if either of them gets a bonus point win they will most likely finish as the best second placed team, as New Zealand are expected to beat Spain and finish top of that pool.

It is thus all set up to be a thrilling final round of U20 world champs pool action around the Western Cape, with it all to play for as teams battle it out to make the semis.