Georgia and Spain will make up this year’s U18 Championship final, as both contestants have beaten Czechia and the Netherlands in the semifinals. Portugal and Germany will face each other in the 5th place playoff, while Germany and Poland are set for a colossal fight to avoid relegation.
U18 Lobos get back to their feet
After a massively disappointing result, Portugal regrouped and earned a 46-12 win over Poland, qualifying for the 5th-place playoff.
The Portuguese steadily built their scoreline, scoring two tries before the 20-minute mark. Centre Hugo Cristóvão and flanker Guilherme Rodrigues nailed the first two for their side.
Poland tried to mount a comeback, but to no avail, spoiling their best chances due to several penalties that broke their momentum.
Until the break, the U18 Lobos added two more finishes, giving them a 22-00 point lead.
The Poles came out of the break more refreshed and ended up rewarded with their first try of the game. Nikodem Wolowczyk broke through Portugal’s tight defence to give his side a bit of hope.
Despite the conceded try, Portugal raised the game's tempo and took control of the ball possession, which would set them up to score five more five-pointers until the end, with Guilherme Rodrigues bagging a hat-trick.
Despite the loss, the Polish side earned their second of the game, again dotted down by number-eight Wolowczyk.
The Lobos now have a chance to finish in 5th place, but to do so, they have to defeat Germany next Saturday.
Germany v Belgium - An all-time classic
Germany and Belgium presented an instant classic for their fans, scoring a total of 86 points, with Germany taking a 47-39 win.
In a game packed with twists and turns, Belgium took the lead 10 minutes in, following a penalty kick converted by Markus Monnier.
Germany got ahead of the scoreline for the first time a few minutes later, after a good carry from lock Eric Rausch.
Belgium momentarily retook the lead before Germany collected their second to take them to a 14-08 score with ten minutes to go until halftime. In quick succession, the Belgians mounted a spectacular comeback, nailing two converted tries to take them to the break with a 22-14 point advantage.
However, after the short rest, it was all Germany. The young Schwarze Adler operated an astonishing recovery, banking two converted tries, both finished by back-line units.
Belgium tried to turn the tide of the game with another five-pointer, but every time they did, so did Germany, with both teams locked in a tight affair.
Until the final whistle, the two European rivals added three tries each, culminating in a 47-39 score in favour of Germany, who will now face Portugal next Saturday.
Commanding win from the U18 Leones
For the second year in a row, Spain secured a place in the U18 Men’s Rugby Europe Championship final, as the U18 Leones claimed a 52-00 victory against the Netherlands.
The 2025 runners-up only needed 2 minutes to score their first, as Oriol Marsinyac García eluded a few tacklers to reach the in-goal area. While the Dutch tried to rise to the occasion, Spain’s dominance was never in question, scoring an additional three tries until halftime.
While all the Spanish points came from the backline, it was their pack that kept the young Leones in tight control of the game.
In the following 35 minutes, the Spanish team extended their 26-00 lead, claiming four more finishes before the match’s end. Lock Unax Carballo Fernandez, fullback Telmo Fisher Obieta and Diego Moreira Valderrey, with a brace, were the try-scorers.
Spain arrives in the final round of the U18 Men's Rugby Europe Championship as the only team yet to concede a point, a remarkable feat ahead of their clash with Georgia.
Young Lelos endure a tense battle against Czechia
The six-time U18 Rugby Europe Championship winners, Georgia, emerged victorious against Czechia, but not without a challenging game, as the hosts fought until the end.
The 26-07 final score might not look like much, but this was by far one of the toughest semifinals Georgia has faced in the last five years, as they were put to the test by a valiant Czechian effort.
The young Lelos ill discipline resulted in two yellow cards before the game had reached the 10-minute mark, with Czechia taking the 2-man advantage to score their first. After several maul drives, the home team was awarded a penalty try.
Georgia had to dig deep to reach Czechia’s in-goal area, finally, and only after Luka Tabatadze found space out wide were they able to draw level.
Four minutes later, it was hooker Luka Tsiklauri’s turn to add his name to the finishers list, as he came from the back of the maul to put his team ahead for the first time.
Czechia’s fierce defence and on-point counterattack starved Georgia of the ball for the remainder of the first half, going to the break down 7 points.
The final 35 minutes were exhilarating, as despite the U18 Lelos scoring two more tries, Czechia gave their best, cornering the title holder’s deep inside their 22 and coming close to adding more points.
Unfortunately for them, the Georgian defence closed ranks and fended the locals off until the match’s conclusion.
Georgia now heads to their 7th U18 Championship final, in what is expected to be a stellar game against Spain.
By Francisco Isaac
Photos: Peter Flousek
