France clinch U20 Six Nations Grand Slam as Ireland bag Triple Crown

The final weekend of the U20 Six Nations came to a close on Sunday and somehow managed to mirror the drama of their senior sides, albeit the French went one better than their senior comrades, clinching the Grand Slam after fighting back to beat England at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre.

Ireland, for their part, wrapped up the Triple Crown double with a commanding display in Cork, while Italy produced a storming comeback to stun Wales in Cardiff.

IRELAND U20 VS SCOTLAND U20:
Ireland closed out their campaign in emphatic fashion, overpowering Scotland 47-14 in Cork to secure the Triple Crown.

Duinn Maguire opened the scoring from close range after a sharp assist by Ben Blaney, and Ireland hit their stride quickly, with Derry Moloney finishing a flowing move before Robert Carney added another after good work from Diarmaid O’Connell.

Blaney then scored himself just before the break, with man of the match Tom Wood converting to give the hosts full control at halftime.

Ireland’s bench carried the momentum. Johnny O’Sullivan’s introduction sparked another strike, and Wood’s break set up the next score as O’Sullivan crossed after Charlie O’Shea’s involvement.

The maul delivered for the visitors when Jamie McAughtrie powered over for Scotland, before Henry Widdowson struck with a solo effort to reward their resistance and put a bit of gloss on the scoreboard.

But Ireland closed with authority: Christopher Barrett finished a sweeping move and Christian Foley crashed over at the death to seal a comprehensive home victory.

WALES U20 VS ITALY U20:
Italy produced their finest performance of the championship to beat Wales 20-13 at Rodney Parade, overturning an early deficit on a night shaped by wind, rain and handling errors.

Wales struck first when Steff Emanuel sent Lewis Edwards through a gap for the opening try, and Lloyd Lucas added two penalties for a 13-10 halftime lead.

But injuries disrupted Welsh momentum, and Italy steadily grew into the contest.

The visitors’ scrum became the dominant force of the match, repeatedly squeezing penalties and flipping territory in their favour.

Their maul delivered two second-half tries, hooker Valerio Pelli finishing one, before second row Simone Fardin smashed through multiple defenders for the decisive score.

Wales created late chances but repeatedly lost crucial lineouts or spilled possession, ending the night frustrated, while Italy left Cardiff with a bonus point and a breakthrough victory.

ENGLAND U20 VS FRANCE U20:
France sealed the Grand Slam with a 31-28 win over England in a match that swung from domination to desperation and back again.

France blasted out of the gates, surging to a 21-0 lead inside 17 minutes via the boot of Tana Keletaona and tries from Dylan Cazemajou, Timeo Frier and Melvyn Rates; their speed and accuracy ripping open the English defence.

England finally settled and hit back through Tyler Offiah, who finished a much-needed strike, before hooker Jimmy Staples and Elliott Williams powered over to trim the margin at halftime.

The visitors returned with renewed purpose after the break as fly-half Finn Keylock took control, guiding England into the right areas, leading to a converted try fron Nick Lilley edging England in front. For a spell, England looked the more organised of the two, but France held their shape defensively and refused to yield.

The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when replacement hooker Gabin Garault drove over from close range to restore the French lead. England pushed through the final minutes, probing for openings, but France closed out the match to complete their Grand Slam.