9 Jul 2025 | 5 min |

England U20 claim thrilling 36-33 win against Australia U20

England U20 closed out a thrilling 36-33 victory against Australia in their third game of the World Rugby U20 Championship as captain Kepu Tuipulotu bagged a hat-trick.

Tries from England’s Connor Treacey, Tuipulotu (3) and Jack Bracken were matched by Australia through a Nick Conway double and additional scores from Trevor King, Hwi Sharples and James Martens, before Ben Coen’s late penalty for England proved the decisive blow.

Having fulfilled the initial criteria of a bonus-point win, England must now hope that France overcome Argentina later this evening to allow them to progress to the semi-finals.

After a fierce arial contest in the early stages, it was England who struck first.

With Nic Allison having gained England front-foot ball off the lineout, scrumhalf Archie McParland sniped around the fringe of the ruck and slipped a deft pass to the onrushing Treacey. The open-side flanker beat two defenders to the line for the opening score, and Coen added the extras from in front to give the men in white a 7-0 lead with 12 minutes played.

Australia responded almost instantly, winger Nick Conway receiving a wide pass from Malakye Enasio and dotting down in the corner. Flyhalf Joey Fowler converted to level the scores.

There followed a tight twenty-minute tussle for the ascendancy, with England mounting some promising attacks but unable to make the final pass stick.

Skipper Tuipulotu eventually broke deadlock five minutes before the half, the Bath man claiming the ball from an Australian lineout error and bundling over to score on his first game as captain.

The conversion was missed, but the England attack had been galvanized, and Tuipulotu found himself on the scoresheet again at the stroke of half-time. After a sustained period of pressure in Australia’s half, the hooker showed his power to barrel over the whitewash for a brace. Coen this time made no mistake from the tee, and he and his side trotted into the tunnel 19-7 up at the break.

England were eager to stamp their authority in the second half and did just that through yet another try from the superb Tuipulotu. The 19-year-old’s third score mirrored his second at the far end and he muscled over under the posts to give his team a 17-point lead.

With the extras duly added by Coen and Australian scrumhalf James Martens sent to the sinbin, England were looking to turn the screw, but had a try-scoring opportunity foiled when Conway picked off an interception in his own 22 and streaked clear for a double.
Fowler added the extras and Australia were suddenly back in the fight, with winger Cooper Watters almost adding to England’s woes further with an acrobatic effort in the corner.

However, a terrific intervention from England’s defence ensured Watters was pushed into touch moments before he dotted the ball down, and the scores remained 26-14.

Both sides were struggling to retain possession, but England looked to have regained control when Bracken cut a delightful line off Josh Bellamy and dotted won for his fourth try of the Championship. Coen converted to increase the deficit to a seemingly comfortable 19 points.

However, this seemed to spark a late resurgence in Australia who scored two tries in quick succession. First, Harvey pirouetted in midfield to put Sharples away before replacement tighthead King burrowed over from a meter out. Both tries were converted and England found themselves holding on to a 33-28 lead with 11 minutes to play.

England were now confronted with prospect of the game they had dominated for most of the afternoon slipping away from them, and this looked to be the case when Martens snuck down the left wing to bring the scores level at 33-33. The conversion was pushed across the face of the uprights to a collective sigh of relief from the England players and supporters, but the job was far from complete.

Just a handful of minutes remained as both sides pushed hard for a late points-scoring opportunity. This eventually came in the form of a penalty in front of the sticks for England after Australia were penalised at the ruck, and Coen knocked the ball over to hand his team the lead once more.

It was then just a case of running down the clock, and England did so with precision before a relieved Bellamy thumped the ball into the stands.

England U20 team to play Australia U20