Spain Falls in U-20 World Cup Semifinals
Spain’s XV team fell in the semifinals of the U-20 World Cup against Italy, losing 28-15. The match was marked by Italy’s dominance, particularly in the second half, as they effectively used their scrum to create long plays and exploit Spain’s errors.
Italy took the lead in the 3rd minute, thanks to a well-worked forward play, which resulted in a yellow card for Spain’s Jokin Zolezzi. The transalpine team maintained their advantage until halftime, leading 12-5. Spain tried to mount a comeback, but Italy’s scrum and forward play kept them under pressure.
Despite being down by 15 points, Spain played some of their best rugby in the final stages of the match, trimming the score to 19-15. However, Italy restored their lead, scoring two more tries, one of which came from a penalty kick, and securing a 28-15 win.
Despite the defeat, the Spanish team demonstrated a strong performance, highlighting their improvement in the championship. To reach the maximum category in the World Cup, Spain will need to beat the loser of the 19th of July Georgia-Fiji match.
ITALY-Spain Match Details
- Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Referee: Nehuen Jauri Rivero
- Italy: Valerio Sicilian, Davide Ascari, Samuele Mirenzi, Piero Gritti, Giacomo Milano, Nelson Casartelli, Giacopo Botturi (c), Lorenzo Casilio, Simone Brisighella, Francesco Imberti, Nicola Bozzo, Federico Zanandrea, Marco Scalabrini, Mirko Belloni, Vittorio Padoan
- Also played: Francesco Gentile, Federico Pisani, Nicola Bolognini, Mattia Midenza, Cesare Zucconi, Martino Pucciariello, Patrick De Villiers
- Spain: Hugo Gonzalez, Diego Gonzalez, Aniol Franch, Pablo Guiraó, Manex Ariceta (c), Nicolas Moleti, Jokin Zolezzi, Valentino Rizzo, Javier Lopez De Haro, Gonzalo Otamendi, Hugo Pichardi, Yago Fernández, Alberto Carmona, Julien Burguillós, Lucien Richardis
- Also played: David Gallego (x2), Alberto Gómez (x3), Adam Llinares (x1), Antonio Gámez (x5), Nicolas Galí (x9), Unax Zuriarrain (x12), Gabriel Rocaries (x14), Martin Serrano (x4)
