NZ and France wobble, Wales and Australia soar in the World Rugby Junior World Championship

Mike Muliaina scored 11 points as the Junior All Blacks have one foot in the World Rugby Junior World Championship semi-finals after surviving a 36-26 scare against Scotland to move four points clear at the top of Pool B.

The Kiwis scored five tries, two in the first half from Logan Williams and Cohen Norrie, who also scored their third try within seconds of the restart, before Siale Pahulu and Johnny Falloon touched down later in the second period.

They looked to be cruising when they were 17-0 up after 37 minutes, with Muliaina converting both tries and landing a penalty before Harvey Preston snatched a try on the stroke of half-time, which Jake Dalziel converted.

Scotland, who gave a good account of themselves throughout, had Joe Roberts score a second-half brace with Dan Kelly crossing the line in the last minute, but it was too little, too late, with Dalziel converting the final two tries.

Alex Ridgway and Steffan Emanuel both scored a brace as Wales ran in seven tries to beat Uruguay 47-0 to clock up their second successive victory in Pool A.

They soaked up ten minutes of Uruguayan pressure before early replacement Emanuel opened the scoring after 13 minutes, with Lloyd Lucas adding the first of his five conversions.

Wales lock Osian Williams was sin-binned for a late tackle before Oscar Thomas, Ridgway and Emanuel all crossed before half-time. Dylan James was yellow-carded early in the second period before Ridgway, debutant Brogan Leary and Tom Bowen completed the scoring.

France came back from 15-5 down to thrash Spain 57-32 with Raphael Audebert, Lilian Baret, Hugo Avogadro and Matheo Frisach each scoring two tries.

A shock looked on the cards when Spain’s Malakai Hafoka, who had earlier kicked a penalty, converted their second try, scored by Solomon Ejike Ibeoba, after Oriol Marsinyac got their first to give them a 15-5 lead.

The French dug in despite having Yanis Basse and Alexandre Langlois sin-binned midway through the first half, and four unanswered tries turned the score from 10-20 to 38-20 by the hour mark before two late Judd tries completed the rout.

Tom Farr-Jones scored two tries as Australia moved to the top of Pool D after beating Fiji 57-13 in a game that saw six yellow cards, three from each side.

The Junior Wallabies lost Jacob Job, Edwin Langi and Charlie Bird to the sin bin while the Fiji trio of Savenaca Qabale, Jehoshua Ratulomai and Mosese Tabuakoto all picked up yellow cards.

But there was never any danger of an upset with Australia scoring nine tries, Toby Brial joining Farr-Jones in getting a brace while Ewald Kruger, Marshall Le Maitre, Sam Blank, Treyvon Pritchard and Angus Grover were the other try scorers.

Finn Mackay kicked three conversions while Jonty Fowler landed one, with Epeli Roseruvakula and Maleli Nauvasi scoring Fiji’s tries, both of which were converted by Tevita Ledua, who also landed a penalty.