New Zealand Under 20 prevail in Stellenbosch storm

The match only lasted 40 minutes with officials eventually deeming conditions at the waterlogged Danie Craven Stadium unsafe. Proceedings were called off at halftime with New Zealand taking all five championship points. Had the match been stopped before the interval the teams would have shared two points. 

New Zealand captain Xavier Taele cast a somewhat stunned figure afterward. 

“Far out that was terrible conditions. I’ve never seen rain like that. It was pretty tough. I’m proud the boys came through,” Taele said. 

Spanish captain Yago Fernandez Vilar conceded, “We knew it was a practice game against them. We didn’t really have a chance.”

New Zealand launched into their work quickly with two tries in the opening ten minutes. First-Five Cooper Grant scored the first splashdown and then barrel-chested prop Andrew Smith proved unstoppable from close range. 

Spain, in their first tournament appearance, was plucky. In the 13th minute, first-five Gonzalo Otamendi created history when he scored the first points by a Spanish player against New Zealand, slotting a 30m penalty. 

Mosese Bason was awarded the DJ Graham Medal as the best player in Super Rugby U20 in May. Bason was bustling and crashed over for two tries. 

New Zealand mauled strongly and hooker A-One Lolofie profited from a lineout pushover. 

New Zealand’s best try was scored by lock Tom Allen striding clear after fullback Issac Hutchinson and halfback Ben O’Donovan combined in a sweeping move that started at halfway. 

Spain’s solitary try was scored after New Zealand winger King Maxwell fumbled a kick and tigerish blindside Victor Ofojetu won the race to the spillage.

Bay of Plenty winger Frank Vaenuku had the last say when he cut sharply off his left foot and fended off two tacklers to dot down on his 19th birthday. 

New Zealand topped Pool A and gained the top seed for the semi-finals with three wins and a maximum of 15 points. In the semi-finals the ‘Baby Blacks’ face France who secured the fourth seed after a 29-11 win over Wales. New Zealand beat France 27-26 on July 5. New Zealand’s Under 20 record is 55 wins in 69 matches.

Remarkably conditions were similar at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town where the match between Australia and Ireland was called off and declared a draw. That meant Ireland topped Pool B and Australia was denied a chance to have a crack at the top four. World Rugby in a statement said.

“Due to heavy rainfall in the Cape Town region on Tuesday 9 July, the pitch at Athlone Stadium has been assessed in partnership with organisers and match officials and currently declared not safe to play. As a result, the first match scheduled at this venue between Ireland U20 and Australia U20 has been cancelled and as per the tournament rules, both teams have been awarded two competition points.”

Aussie coach, and former Wallabies midfield back, Nathan Grey was not satisfied complaining. 

"We played two games of Rugby Championships in much worse conditions but a strong push from the Irish doctor seemed to work with World Rugby in cancelling the game.”

Ireland plays England in the semi-finals. England are the Six Nations champions and topped Pool C with three wins. England have 51 wins in 68 matches in tournament history.