England U20s star Lucas Friday believes the side have made major improvements during the Junior World Championship, and insists they are relishing the opportunity to end their campaign on a high against New Zealand.
England reached the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2024 following an unbeaten run in the pool stages, but fell to a 53-37 defeat to the Junior Springboks in Monday’s showdown in Tbilisi.
‘We’ve improved massively from the Six Nations’
Their run to the semi-finals does mark a strong improvement from their Six Nations campaign earlier this year, in which they finished third behind Grand Slam champions France and Ireland, and Harlequins ace Friday feels they have taken a big step forward during the World Championship campaign.
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“We’ve improved massively from the Six Nations to the World Championship,” he told Planet Rugby. “Each game we’ve progressed massively as a group.
“We’ve come a bit tighter as a group and more connected. We’re all from different clubs, so getting together at the start, but we’ve gelled pretty well and are really connected, which allows us to do what we do on the pitch.
“There’s been a lot of improvements that we’ve made throughout the competition, and as a team we’re in a really good place. I feel like we’ve succeeded well and played well as a team.”
‘We’re ready to play’
While Monday’s defeat means they miss out on the final, the England U20s do have one more game to look ahead to in Georgia, with the Baby Blacks lined up in Saturday’s third-place play-off, which Friday believes is a “great opportunity” for his side.
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“We haven’t played the All Blacks at U20s for a very long time,” the Quins number nine told PR. “It’s a great opportunity for us.
“We’re ready to play, and we’re excited for the opportunity to play against the All Blacks. Pretty much none of us have played them.
“It’ll be a good opportunity to put our foot forward.”
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England have named a changed side to face New Zealand in Saturday’s showpiece play-off fixture, with Jonny Weimann, Finn Keylock, Jack Lewis and George Marsh coming into the starting XV, while Alan Poku, Zac Finch and Freddie Ogden-Metherell and Kealan Freeman-Price also return to the replacements list.
“The group has earned this opportunity through the work they’ve put in across the tournament, and the commitment shown by players and staff to build strong connections, take ownership of their development and support one another every step of the way has been imperative,” said head coach Andy Titterrell.
“We know New Zealand will provide another huge test, but there’s a real belief within our team and a unity in how we’ve prepared, with everyone aligned on finishing the competition strongly.
“This fixture is a chance to bring together everything we’ve worked on as a team and deliver a performance that reflects who we are and what we’ve built throughout the Championship.”
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