World Rugby Under-20 Championship final

England (7) 21

Try: Bailey, Green Con: Kerr Pen: Kerr 3

France (6) 13

Try: Ferte Con: Reus Pen: Reus 2

England ended France’s dominance of the Under-20 World Cup and claimed their first title since 2016 with a 21-13 victory in the final.

Lock Joe Bailey powered over from close range to score the opening try and hand England a narrow lead at half-time in Cape Town after Hugo Reus’ two penalties for France.

England’s forwards continued to outmuscle the French pack after the interval and Arthur Green picked up from the base of the scrum to score their second try.

Sean Kerr’s three penalties edged England further in front as Mathis Ferte’s late consolation try could not prevent France falling short in their pursuit of a fourth consecutive title.

Victory for Mark Mapletoft’s England caps a fine year in which they also won the Under-20 Six Nations.

It is England’s fourth under-20s title, having not reached the final for six years.

England came from behind to beat France and clinch the Six Nations title in March, but they would have been under no illusions as to the task at hand in South Africa.

France have had a stranglehold on the Under-20 World Cup and booked their place in the final with a convincing 55-31 win over New Zealand.

Les Bleus took the early lead with a Reus penalty before Ferte crossed the whitewash for the first time after a flowing move, only for the try to be chalked off for an earlier knock-on.

England grew confidence from that decision and claimed the first legitimate try after a strike move from a line-out handed them the impetus before Bailey surged over the line.

Reus dragged France to within one point at the break but England’s power in the scrum was relentless.

Their second try came via that route, a five-metre scrum driving towards the French line before Green gathered the loose ball and grounded.

Kerr missed the conversion but regained his accuracy from the tee with two subsequent penalties to move England out of sight and on to the title.

England captain Finn Carnduff said: “This group is super special. I genuinely see those guys as brothers for life and to win two trophies together, I can’t believe it.

“We thought our errors were putting us on the back foot in the first half. We wanted to stick to our principles in the second half and I think we did that.

“We kept the ball at their end, used our set-piece to our advantage and moved the ball quicker.”

England: Jones; Redshaw, Waghorn, Kerr, Wills; Coen, Allan; Opoku-Fordjour, Wright, Fasogbon, Bailey, Kpoku, Carnduff (capt), Pollock, James.

Replacements: Isaacs, Miell, Halliwell, Sodeke, Green, Friday, Bellamy, Hall.

France: Ferte; Biasotto, Brau-Boirie, Taccola, Mousques; Reus, Carbonneau; Julien, Massa, Duchene, Gambini, Mezou, Quere-Karaba, Malaterre, Castro-Ferreira.

Replacements: Lacombre, Jean-Christophe, Marceline, Kante-Samba, Liufau, Tolofua, Belaubre, Desperes-Rigou.