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France make two changes for U20 Championship final versus England

17 Jul 2024

Hugo Reus leads out France U20s for their semi-final against New Zealand (Photo by Carl Fourie/World Rugby)

Defending champions France have made two changes to their starting team to take on England this Friday in Cape Town in the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship. The French, who are chasing a fourth successive world title in a row, swatted aside New Zealand 55-31 in their semi-final last Sunday.

That swashbuckling seven-try performance at the DHL Stadium gained them a perfect revenge for their 26-27 pool loss to the Baby Blacks 10 days earlier in Stellenbosch.

Next on their agenda is revenge on England, whom they lost a Six Nations match to in Pau 31-45 on March 15 which confirmed the English as champions in that tournament.

They have altered one back and one forward in their run-on XV while also switching two of the replacement bench that retains the six/two forwards/backs split it had against the New Zealanders.

The French backline change is on the left wing where the impressive Hoani Bosmorin is marked absent following his 35th-minute exit in the semi-final. His place has been taken by Xan Mousques.

Fixture

World Rugby U20 Championship

England U20

21 - 13

Full-time

France U20

All Stats and Data

Meanwhile, in the front row, Lino Julien, who started the last day at tighthead, switches to loosehead for the benched Samuel Jean-Christophe and this has allowed Thomas Duchene to come back at No3.

Aside from Jean-Christophe dropping to the replacements at the expense of Lorencio Boyer-Gallardo, the other sub switch is the inclusion of Mathys Belaubre following the promotion of Mousques.

FRANCE (vs England, Friday): 1. Lino Julien, 2. Barnabe Massa, 3. Thomas Duchene, 4. Charly Gambini, 5. Corentin Mezou, 6. Joe Quere Karaba, 7. Geoffrey Malaterre, 8. Mathis Castro Ferreira; 9. Leo Carbonneau, 10. Hugo Reus; 11. Xan Mousques, 12. Robin Taccola, 13. Fabien Brau-Boirie, 14. Maxence Biasotto; 15. Mathis Ferte. Reps: 16. Thomas Lacombre, 17. Samuel Jean-Christophe, 18. Thomas Marceline, 19. Charles Kante Samba, 20. Brent Liufau, 21. Sialevailea Tolofua, 22. Mathys Belaubre, 23. Axel Desperes-Rigou.

Click here to sign up to RugbyPass TV for free live coverage of matches from the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship in countries that don’t have an exclusive local host broadcaster deal

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