An emphatic victory for France over Ireland in the World Rugby Under-20s final saw them lift the title for the third consecutive time in South Africa.
Les Bleuets ran in seven tries in Cape Town to defeat Grand Slam champions Ireland 50-14 in an eye-catching win.
In such an impressive victory, many players put their hands up, including a significant number playing a year up – making them ones to watch out for in next year’s Under-20 Six Nations.
Posolo Tuilagi
The towering second row has been one of the standout players throughout the World Cup and in the biggest game of all, he once again put on a show.
Just shy of 6’5 and weighing 149kg, Tuilagi is destructive with ball in hand and a handy weapon at scrum time too.
He is one of the France stars who incredibly is playing up a year, turning 19 at the end of this month.
In the final, the latest member of the famous Tuilagi rugby family played a major role in Lino Julien’s try, sucking in two defenders, while his offloading is mightily impressive at such a young age.
Expert half-backs
Any top team must have quality half-backs and that is exactly what this France team have in Baptiste Jauneau and Hugo Reus.
The Clermont scrum-half Jauneau put in another series of fine displays in South Africa that confirm he is ready to make the jump to Test level already, commanding the game excellently.
He combined superbly with Reus, another of those who will be able to represent France in next year’s U20 Six Nations – nailing another six conversions in the final after six in the 52-31 win over England in the semi-final.
The duo showed their class in the final, against strong opposition in Fintan Gunne and Sam Prendergast and look destined to make a splash in both the U20 Six Nations and the Guinness Six Nations in years to come.
Gazzotti and the back row
Marko Gazzotti may have taken the plaudits with a Player of the Match display in the final in Cape Town – his third of the tournament – but you simply have to mention the rest of France’s back row.
Captain Lenni Nouchi and openside flanker Oscar Jegou more than played their part in a sensational French win but once again it proved to be Gazzotti who stole the show.
The 18-year-old Grenoble No.8 was everywhere on both sides of the ball and deservedly earned the Player of the Tournament accolade.
Nicolas Depoortère
Centre Depoortère has already shown what he can do in the Top 14 with Bordeaux and this World Cup he has been nothing short of exceptional.
He bagged yet another try in the final, to take his tally to five for the tournament, spotting a gap in the Irish defence and then having the pace and the power to finish and score an important try for Les Bleuets.
Lining up at 13, he was surely a contender for Player of the Tournament himself and having played his final game for the U20 side, must now be casting his eye towards representing the senior side in the Guinness Six Nations.
Mathis Ferté
Two tries in the final made him extremely unlucky to miss out on Player of the Match but Ferté will be there to fight another day as another who is eligible to play in next year’s U20 Six Nations.
At just 5’8 and weighing only 77kg, he is not the most powerful full-back but what he lacks there, he more than makes up for in speed, agility and perhaps most importantly how he reads the game.
Often plying his trade at scrum-half for Brive, Ferté is an incredible talent and certainly one to keep an eye on.
