Hosts France and holders England will go head-to-head to decide the winners of the 2026 European U19s Championship on Saturday, after the second round of matches at the CREPS Font Romeu high performance facility in the French Pyrenees yesterday (Wednesday).

England were pushed all the way by Wales who led at half time, before emerging 28-16 winners, Eligh Wilkinson, scrum half Billy-Joe Towers and Bailey Worthington with late tries to see them through.

“I was proud with the team for showing the resilience we talked about in training before this game and we knew we’d need,” said England head coach Gary Hewer. “We expected Wales to come hard and strong, and they did.

“We found ourselves 16-6 down at one point but I was pleased with the patience we showed and ultimately got the result. Wales were great throughout and I compliment them but ultimately, we achieved our goal of making the last game a final.”

France were convincing winners in overwhelming Serbia 106-6, back rower Giordano Descalzi opening the scoring in the first minute and finishing with six of their 18 tries, which came from 12 different scorers.

France head coach, Remi Casty, noted: “It was important to respect the opposition, and we did. We had to be ruthless for the full 80 minutes to be prepared for Saturday and we were. Serbia were brave and never stopped trying.”

Danilo Todorovic posted the Serbian’s try in the first half, deserved consolation for their efforts.

Scotland, meanwhile, registered their first win of the tournament in a hard-fought clash with Ukraine, coming out on top 36-24. The young Bravehearts led 26-6 at the break, Sean Callan’s second try five minutes after half time putting them in seeming control but they had to withstand a Ukrainian fight back, winger Ruslan Lipisii with two of their four tries and Zac Gedz 12 points.

Mick Piper, Scotland head coach, commented: “We had to right some wrongs after our game with France and we did, I’m pleased with the performance. Ukraine were very determined and never gave up and we needed that to carry some good momentum into Saturday against Wales.”

Round 3 - Saturday 18 July
Serbia v Ukraine (kick off 2pm, local time)
Scotland v Wales (4pm)
France v England (6pm)

Round 2 results

England 28
Eligh Wilkinson, Ellis Holliday, Rhomen Alick, Rio Walker, Kieran Horner, Jaiden Tallantire, Billy-Joe Towers, Harrison Dickinson, Bailey Worthington, Jake Lerigo, Kier Starkie, Zac Bennett, Connor Hall
Interchanges: Dylan Morris, Jack Barker, Daniel Houghton, Rylan Templeton

Tries: Starkie (2), Walker (51), Bennet (57), Wilkinson (60), Towers (69), Worthington (77)
Goals: Eligh Wilkinson 2/5, Jaiden Tallentire 0/1

Sin Bin: Worthington (20 – fighting) 

Wales 16
Ioan Herbert, Alex Richardson, Harley Smith, Ethan Williams, Jacob Jones, Evan Williams, Charlie Newton, Cae Jones, Finlay Walker, Will Mathers, Josh Harding, Evan Rowlands, Kavan Phillips
Interchanges: Oli Rees, Oli Bellavia-Walker, Rhys Hughes, Reegan Preece

Tries: Rowlands (21), Richardson (27), Harding (45) 
Goals: Phillips 1/2, Newton 1/1

Sin Bin: Walker (20 – fighting), Walker (51 – professional foul)

Referee: Calvin Galandrin (France)

Half Time: 4-10

France 106
Clément Colin, Leny Stacul, Jimmy Bavent, Louis Tranier, Tom Zitter, Nathan Gandou, Mathis Dumont, Clément Troni, Elio Cazanave, Teddy Cadenas, Luka Clottes, Giordano Descalzi, Yanis Ballet
Interchanges: Lorik Lejeune, Mahault Beauvilliers, Sione Pasikla Lamelangi, Joris Martignoles

Tries: Descalzi (1, 30, 61, 68, 74, 78), Troni (7), Clottes (15), Colin (18), Cazanave (22), Tranier (24), Ballet (27), Martignoles (39), Lejeune (42), Gandou (45, 48), Stacul (55), Zitter (61)
Goals: Dumont 10/10, Gandou 7/8

Serbia 6
Kai Saric, Marko Conic, Archie Wheeler, Aleksa Radojkovic, Strahinja Milankovic, Danilo Gavrilovic, Tyson Walker, Milan Milovanovic, Danilo Todorovic, Mihajlo Malesevic, Uros Polic, Jakov Dojcinovic, Zaric Saban
Interchanges: Filip Mihajlovic, Nikola Savic, Vukasin Savic, Mateja Stojkovic

Try: Todorovic (34)
Goal: Walker 1/1 

Referee: Joseph Rago (Norway)

Half Time: 54-6

Scotland 38
Connor McGuinness, Declan Smith, Callum Duncan, Shaun Callan, Promise Nkabi, Oscar Ellicott-McCulloch, Finley Cannon, Ollie Watkins-Smith, Jarrod Jones, Cullin Stoddart-Shannly, Rueben Morrison, Ethan Frary, Isaac Maclean.
Interchanges: Arran Jamieson, Jacob Walker, Lucas Anderson Moore, Ben Milnes

Tries: O. Ellicott-McCulloch (8), Frary (12, 38), Callan (25, 45), Anderson Moore (31), Walker (38)
Goals: Callan (4/6), Connor McGuinness (1/1)

Sin Bin: Cannon (48 – trip)

Ukraine 24
Zac Gedz, Ruslan Lipisii, Daniel Olshansky, Pavlo Pistoliuk, Rostyslav Polulikh, David Winter, Dmytro Shevchuk, Anton Lukaschuck, Cruz Death, Nikita Korolchuk, Dmytro Cherneha, Hryhorii Ahulov, Liam Gallagher 
Interchanges: Nikita Naurynskyi, Vladyslav Biletskyi, Oleksandr Vilinchuk, Roman Pomirchyi

Tries: Death (9), Lipisii (50, 75), Zac Gedz (71)
Goals: Zac Gedz 4/4

Sin Bin: Hryhorii Ahulov (53 - dangerous tackle)

Referee: Romain Pares (France)

Half Time: 26-6