6 U20 nations – shortage for the Bleuets, competition revealing talent: five things to know about the under -20 tournament

1. Italy, the third surprise of the 2024 edition

During the previous edition, Italy U20 created the sensation by finishing in third place, its best historical result. A significant performance which confirms the progression of Italian rugby.

2. A return to Breton land for an emblematic stadium

The Rabine stadium, in Vannes, will once again host a Blueberry match against Walesas in 2019. This place brings young French people for the moment, who had triumphed 32-10 in this same enclosure that year.

• A first to Jean Bouin

The March 14 match against Scotland will be a great first for the U20, which will play at the Jean Bouin stadium, in the French capital. This meeting, planned at the end of the tournament, could be decisive for the title, offering a possible beautiful home party.

3. Three talents revealed in the U20 tournament: striking trajectories

The U20 tournament has often revealed many great hopes of rugby. Among them, three players have particularly distinguished themselves by their little harmless performance and trajectories:

• Sam Prendergast : Best director of the U20 2023 tournament with 69 pointsthe Irish lenster opener quickly won. After shining in club with 44 points in 16 games, he was summoned with the Ireland team for Autumn Nations Series 2023where he played the meetings against Argentina, Fiji and Australia. His solid performances confirm his potential to become a key player in Irish rugby and perhaps take over from Jonathan Sexton.

• Henry Arundell : Revealed during the U20 2022 tournament thanks to its speed and explosiveness, the English winger impressed during its beginnings by being the best marker of this edition (4 trials). Currently at Racing 92 in France, he cannot apply for the XV of the rose. Henry Arundell has extended at Racing 92 for the next three years. The extension of his hopes contract will allow the English back to be considered Jiff in 2026.

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• Max Auriac : Best director of the U20 2022 tournament with 53 points registeredhe showed promising talent at the opening and back. Passed from the Toulouse stadium to Colomiers, he gone into power and held during the victory in Béziers.

4. The evolution of the U20 tournament, heir to the U19 and U21 categories

Before 2008, two separate tournaments existed for the U19 and U21 categories. Their merger, orchestrated by the IRB, gave birth to the U20 tournament, which has become a real springboard to the senior national teams.

5. The last French victory in 2018, a golden generation

The Blueberries won their latest U20 Six Nations tournament in 2018. This exceptional generation included names now familiar like Romain Ntamack, Matthis Lebel, Maxime Lamothe, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Cameron Woki …