The French Under-20 rugby team was beaten just outside the World Cup final.

The defeat was a cruel blow for the French men's under-20 rugby team. Dominant in several areas of the game, the Bleuets lost to New Zealand, 34-26, in the semi-finals of the U20 World Cup, a major stepping stone to the top professional level. After a controlled group stage with three wins in three matches (against Spain, Wales, and Argentina) and 20 tries scored, the French, winners of the Six Nations Tournament, nevertheless seemed the favorites in this duel against the "baby Blacks."

But the winners of the last Rugby Championship, a competition that pits the formidable nations of the southern hemisphere against each other, immediately imposed their rhythm on the pitch of the Luigi-Zaffanella stadium in Viadana, near Parma, in northern Italy. In the ^2nd minute, Stanley Solomon took advantage of a clumsy overhead kick from Luka Keletaona to open the scoring. Eight minutes later, the New Zealanders doubled their lead thanks to a beautiful chistera from Frank Vaenuku, which sent Mosese Bason into the French in-goal. Trailing 14-0, the Bleuets revolted: Luka Keletoana found space with his foot to set up Kalvin Gourgues, who resisted a tackle to score the first French try (14-7).

In the process, Toulon captain Corentin Mézou finished off an effective corner maul to bring the French level at 14-12. New Zealand fly-half Rico Simpson, impeccable with his feet, restored his team's three-point lead from a penalty. The Bleuets, who dominated territorially, in possession, and on the maul, were denied a try for a knock-on, while the Baby Blacks extended their lead thanks to Jack Wiseman (24-12). After a well-executed combination after a scrum, Fabien Brau-Boirie put the French within five points of their opponents at half-time (24-19).

The second period started at the same pace, foot to the floor, with a breathless succession of turnovers in the still oppressive heat (30°C and almost 60% humidity). But it would be a period of frustration for the Bleuets: conceding too many handling errors in key moments, they were unable to capitalize on more possession and gave away many points along the way, unlike the baby Blacks, by playing all the penalties into touch. Impatient, made nervous by the penalties conceded, the Bleuets struggled to find solutions and were marking time against an impressive New Zealand defense on its line. If Jon Echegaray's liberating try ( ^63rd ) gave the French a boost (27-26), their hopes were quickly dashed by the ultra-realistic nature of their opponents.

The cruel culmination of a sterile domination, the Bleuets saw their hopes collapse on a sequence symbolic of their errors: a sequence of pick and go perfectly controlled by the New Zealand substitutes resulted in the try of Aisake Vakasiuola ( ^68th ), even though France was playing with a numerical superiority (15 against 13 after two yellow cards for Jack Wiseman and Franck Vaenuku for a head-to-head contact on an attempted tackle then an offside). The score then swung to 32-26 in favor of the baby Blacks, at a moment when the Tricolores seemed to let their chance to get back into the match slip away. Rico Simpson continued his flawless performance to seal the fate of the match and send his team to the final.

The All Blacks will find out their opponents after the other semi-final between South Africa and Argentina on Monday evening. The final of the competition is scheduled for Sunday, July 19 at 8:30 p.m. The Bleuets, for their part, will have to quickly digest the disappointment: they will have a chance to secure a consolation of third place on Saturday, July 18, at 6 p.m., on the pitch of the San Michele stadium in Calvisano, a stone's throw from Brescia.