Spain U20 beat Fiji U20 in thriller

Last year’s U20 Trophy winners Spain scored in sudden-death extra-time to break Fijian hearts and guarantee their place in the 2025 U20 Championship in a dramatic opener to the final day of the tournament.

With that match at Athlone Stadium over-running, Italy play Georgia in a delayed ninth-place play-off, before Australia take on Argentina in the fifth-place play-off.

Meanwhile, Wales and South Africa get proceedings under-way with the seventh-place play-off at the DHL Stadium, before Ireland take on New Zealand for third and England meet defending champions France in the showpiece match.

11TH-PLACE PLAY-OFF: SPAIN 24-19 FIJI

Spain came back from 14-0 down to beat Fiji after 93 dramatic minutes of rugby at a wind-blown and rain-swept Athlone Stadium and guarantee a second year of U20 Championship rugby.

Replacement hooker David Gallego was the hero, coming up with the ball following a maul from a 5m line three minutes into the second period of sudden-death extra time as Spain won their first-ever match in the competition.

Fiji – twice down to 13 players late in the game – will play in the U20 Trophy next year.

The game was more than half-an-hour in before the first points went on the board – Fiji breaking the deadlock through flanker Ratu Nemani Kurucake.

But this was already an enthralling match. Both sides had already been held up over the tryline. Both sides had been reduced temporarily to 14, and had shown plenty of enterprise in attack. Fiji had soaked up a lengthy spell of Spanish pressure on their own line in defence, before Kurucake’s try. 

Conditions – atmospheric and under foot – weren’t helpful to either side, making the handling, offloads, and tackling even more impressive. 

Kurucake’s try released the pent-up first-half scoring pressure. Fiji got their second five minutes later, replacement hooker Iowane Vakadrigi picking up from the back of a ruck and powering over, holding off two Spanish tacklers.

And anything Fijian hookers could do, Spanish ones could too, as Diego Gonzalez Blanco crashed over following a strong Spanish maul just before halftime to reduce the deficit.

The second half started in much the same manner as the first – defensive determination holding over attacking intent, for the first 10 minutes, before Fiji backrow Ronald Sharma scored out wide.

Spain countered from the restart, with a try for flanker Jokin Zolezzi, after the forwards had crashed their way to the line to make it a seven-point game. 

Fiji were reduced to 13 as Kurucake and winger Waisake Salabiau were sent to the sin-bin within minutes of one another as Fiji defended their line from another concerted Spanish attack. The latter’s card, for a dangerous challenge, was upgraded to red on bunker review.

And Gonzalo Otamendi levelled the scores moments later, after flanker Nicolas Moleti crashed over nine minutes from time. Despite Spain's best efforts, that was the last score of normal time, as the game went to an all-in, nerve-shredding sudden death.