Semi-final defeat for New Zealand

By Liam Wright — 13 July 2026 — 3 min read

Semi-final defeat for New Zealand

New Zealand Under 20 has been defeated by France in the semi-final of the World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia. A late try by Adrien Drault in the 76th minute secured a 26-22 victory for France, booking their place in the final.

France, a strong contender in the tournament, has previously won three of the last five tournaments. The match was a closely contested affair, with both teams exchanging leads throughout.

Match progression

New Zealand started strongly, with Ethan Webber scoring the opening try after seven minutes from a driving lineout, which Cohen Norrie converted. However, France quickly responded through their forwards. Prop Matheo Frisach scored a try in the 20th minute from a rolling maul, and Luka Keletaona converted to level the scores.

Shortly after, New Zealand lock Max Fale received a sin-bin for a high tackle on Lucas Andjisseramatchi. Despite being a man down, New Zealand regained the lead after 26 minutes when Josh Finley set up Henry Stuart for a try. The lead was short-lived as France‘s forwards again proved decisive. Hooker Gabin Garault scored his fifth try of the tournament in the 33rd minute from a powerful lineout drive, with Keletaona converting to put France back in front.

After the break, New Zealand weathered French pressure for 18 minutes before responding. Micah Fale was heavily involved in a move that saw Finn McLeod score from close range, and Norrie added the conversion. The scores were again level at 19-19 after Caleb Woodley received a yellow card, and Elia Masi scored a try for France.

New Zealand believed they had taken a crucial step towards the final in the 66th minute when Micah Fale appeared to score a try, but the Television Match Official (TMO) identified a knock-on by Haki Wiseman, disallowing the score. Six minutes later, Norrie successfully kicked a long-range penalty, which seemed to be a potential match-winner. However, Drault‘s late try secured the victory for France, leaving no time for New Zealand to recover.

Path to the semi-final

New Zealand Under 20 had an unbeaten run through the pool stages, securing their place in the final four by topping Pool B. They achieved victories against Japan (38-21), Scotland (36-26), and Italy (45-15). France also progressed through their pool play without a loss, setting up the highly anticipated semi-final clash.

Head Coach Kane Jury had made five changes to the squad that played against Italy in the final pool match. The starting forward pack remained unchanged, reflecting strong performances in earlier games. David Lewai moved to the left wing, and Haki Wiseman returned from concussion to start in the midfield alongside Siale Pahulu. Two changes were also made to the bench, with Jackson Hughan returning as reserve halfback and Logan Williams providing outside back cover.

Coach Jury acknowledged the increased intensity of a semi-final match, stating that everything lifts another level at this stage of the competition. He recognised France as an outstanding side and a tournament favourite, anticipating challenges across the field. The team had built good momentum over the pool stages but needed to be accurate, disciplined, and capitalise on opportunities. The players were reportedly excited for the challenge and the chance to earn a place in the final.

In another match, Italy defeated Georgia 43-19 in the ninth-place semi-final, with Mattia Andretti contributing 13 points.

The New Zealand Under 20 team for the semi-final against France included Henry Stuart, Josh Findlay, Ethan Webber, Max Fale, Jake Frost, Bradley Tocker, Caleb Woodley (vice-captain), Patrick Mauga, Charlie Sinton (captain), Mika Muliaina, David Lewai, Haki Wiseman, Siale Pahulu, Oliver Guerin, and Cohen Norrie. Reserves included Xavier Leota, James Moore, Dane Johnston, Finn McLeod, Micah Fale, Jackson Hughan, Logan Williams, and Kobe Brownlee. Johnny Falloon and Kele Lasaqa were unavailable due to injury and had returned to New Zealand. The match was broadcast live on Sky with a kick-off time of 2:00 am NZT.

Source: rugbypass.com