Portugal and the Netherlands have qualified for the Championship final, in what is expected to be a spectacular clash between the two contenders.
Czechia and Belgium face off in the bronze medal game, while Germany and Romania battle for 5th place. Poland and Switzerland will face each other for the right to stay in the Men’s U20 Rugby Europe Championship.
U20 Stejarii are back on the winning trail
The first match of the ranking semifinals ended with Romania overcoming Poland, with the Stejarii winning 46-15 and qualifying for the 5th-place playoff.
Romania were the first side to claim points, following a triumphant finish from wing Erik Nagy. David Balan added the conversion and would proceed to nail two more penalty kicks in what was a good performance from the fly-half.
It would take almost half an hour before Poland added their first points on the board, with Lucien Frejaville-Connac slotting in a penalty kick.
In the last 10 minutes of the first half, both sides had players sent to the sin bin, with Poland making the most of the one-player advantage to earn their first five-pointer, scored by prop Alexander Martin.
However, the young Stejarii army had the last say, as fullback Edward Brasnean galloped triumphantly to the try-line, giving his side a 10-point margin before the break.
Unfortunately for Poland, their uprising was short-lived as Romania regained the momentum and added four more tries.
Thanks to a well-oiled set-piece, the U20 Stejarii cornered the opposition and extended their lead to 46-10 before Poland had a chance to score their second consolation five-pointer.
In the game's final play, fullback Johan Janiec sprinted to the in-goal area and burrowed the ball in the corner to give his team a ray of sunlight.
Romania will now play for the chance to finish in 5th place, but they will need to put on a top performance to defeat Germany.
Germany marches towards the 5th place final
A convincing performance was enough for the Schwarze Adler to bank a 43-08 win over Switzerland, giving them a chance to finish in 5th place, their highest ever position in the Men’s U20 Rugby Europe Championship.
While the German side emerged victorious, it was the Swiss team that scored the first three points of the game, following a well-placed penalty kick from Lucas Schmid.
After spoiling several good chances to strike, Germany was finally able to reach the Swiss try-area, scoring three tries in the first half's final 16 minutes. Hooker Owen Hanson-Church, lock Simon Lüders, and wing Tung Thang were the finishers.
Like what had happened in the opening 40 minutes, Switzerland was the more composed side in the second half’s first minutes, and were rewarded with a five-pointer of their own.
However, it wasn't enough to tip the scales, as Germany upped their game and, in quick succession, collected four more tries until the match's conclusion. Utility back Max Zahner orchestrated his team’s attack with finesse, creating more than a handful of key plays for his team to take advantage of.
Germany will square off against Romania for the right to finish 5th, while Switzerland and Poland will meet in the 7th-place final.
A low-country derby to forever be remembered
What a way to end a semifinal, as the Netherlands confirmed their passage to the final after Ilan Vaasen converted a penalty kick in extra time. The Netherlands levelled the game in the dying seconds, forcing it into extra time.
In a game of two halves, the Dutch were in control for most of the first 40 minutes, taking advantage of their scrum to push Belgium back and set up a strong platform to take the lead.
Silver Van Essen was the first to strike, followed by prop Toine Obiang Nguema, who got his 4th try of the tournament. Belgium reacted by adding eight points, thanks to a finish from Sohan Faquez and a penalty conversion taken by Liam Duncan.
Both sides added three more to their end before going for a short rest.
Fans weren't ready for what would be unleashed in the second string of 40 minutes, with several shocking turns taking place.
The Dutch increased their lead with another five-pointer from Obiang Nguema and two extra points from Bram Roters boot. Like in the first half, Belgium found their way to the try-area, but the Netherlands nullified their try by scoring another of theirs, with the game set at 27-18 with 15 minutes to go.
The best was left for the final 10 minutes, as Belgium mounted an insane comeback, and all started with two yellow cards shown to Dutch players, resulting in a penalty try for Belgium.
At the 78-minute mark, Lindberg Ekendahl ran a straight line to reach the in-goal area, pushing his team to take the lead. Mathieu Hautier successfully punted the conversion, and Belgium was close to securing a place in the final.
However, the Netherlands didn’t back down from the tussle and, even after losing a 5-meter lineout, they managed to push Belgium back in the scrum, with number eight Mark Brombacher recovering the ball and placing it down.
Despite the conversion not going in, the Netherlands forced the game into extra time, and six minutes in, they won a penalty kick after another brutal scrum.
Vaasen took responsibility for the kick, and without second-guessing, the fullback nailed the winning 3 points, allowing the Netherlands to qualify for the Championship final for a fourth consecutive time.
Lobos cruise past to the final
The reigning champions will be defending their title next Sunday, as the Portuguese convincingly defeated Czechia 60-03, in what will be a replay of last year’s final.
Despite the result, Czechia did well in the opening 20 minutes, conceding only 6 points and scoring 3 of their own while effectively putting the Portuguese pack under pressure.
However, the Lobos sped up the game and finally claimed their first finish from Manuel Reis. The centre calmly placed down the ball after a spectacular offload from wing João Brunay. Tomás Marques added two points from the tee.
The 2024 champions extended their point margin with another converted try, going to the break with a 20-03 lead.
Despite their valiant effort, Czechia’s defence would crumble in the second set of 40 minutes, conceding six more five-pointers before full-time. Tomás Marques bagged a brace and successfully converted seven out of eight kicks, and is in the try and point scorers lead with one game to go.
The Lobos reach the final without having conceded any tries, but will have to be wary of the Netherlands come Sunday.
By Francisco Isaac
Photos by Peter Flousek
