New Zealand crushes Australia in second semi-final of Junior World Championship - Rugby news
New Zealand has crushed their arch rivals Australia in a semi-final match by 37-7 to meet England in the final of the Junior World Championship in Italy.
The Australians seemed not to have learned from their previous defeat at the hands of the New Zealanders in the final of the 2010 Junior Championship. The Australians played a nervous game and let the opponents blaze a trail to yet another final.
Earlier, England made its place in the final of the JWC by defeating France in the first semi-final by 31-18, in Treviso, Italy. England was losing the game to the French team with 30 minutes left in the game but they bounced back nicely and clinched a hard
fought victory in the later part of the second-half. The English team will be showcased in the title match for the third time since the tournaments inception, however, the squad has yet to win any titles.
On the other hand, New Zealand went onto the field confidently and grabbed an easy victory over the Australians. The first-half of the match was not productive for either side and ended up in a sluggish manner with New Zealand leading by 13-7. New Zealand
was helped by Francis Saili, Charles Piutau, Gareth Anscombe, and Brad Weber with one try each in the match. They also scored on three penalties and four conversions during the match and led their squad to the winner’s circle.
Talking to reporters after the match, New Zealand captain Luke Whitelock said, “The Australians came out tough, scored an early try and had a lot of the ball, We had to work hard but our defense shaped up and we gained a bit more momentum in the second half.”
International Rugby Board Junior World Championship was started in 2008 and New Zealand has proved strong enough to lift the crown every time. The New Zealanders claimed their first two world titles defeating England by 38-3 and then the next year by 44-28.
The junior All Blacks completed their hat-trick last year, defeating Australia in the final by 62-17 in Argentina.
The final of the fourth JWC will be played on June 26, between England and New Zealand in Padua.
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