‘Ruthless’ Junior Wallabies dragging Australian rugby off its knees

The Junior Wallabies have proved a shinning light in a season of darkness for Australian rugby but coach Jason Gilmore says their success is no fluke.

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Australia’s stunning charge to the under-20s Rugby World Cup final has given the game a vital boost amid criticism and financial stress, according to the team’s coach Jason Gilmore.

The Junior Wallabies secured their place in the decider against defending champions France by defeating hosts Argentina 34-13 in the semi-final, despite playing nearly the entire second half with 14 men.

Amid intense bagging of Australian rugby, the result is a huge coup, and the first time the side has made the final since 2010 when future Wallabies Matt Toomua, Nic White, Scott Sio, Adam Coleman and Liam Gill burst onto the scene.

The Junior Wallabies celebrate scoring a try. Picture: Getty

The 2019 crop, led by guns Fraser McReight, Will Harris, Nick Frost, Harry Wilson, Lachlan Lonergan and Noah Lolesio, will attempt to claim Australia’s first junior world title on Sunday (4.20am AEST).

“I think it’s pretty massive for the country to show that there are boys in the country that are very talented and want to represent their country proudly,” Gilmore said.

“The pathway we’ve been working on for the past 12 months, we’ve made a couple of key structural changes to it, and I think we’re starting to see the fruits of that come through at the moment.

Junior Wallabies captain Fraser McReight. Picture: Rugby AU Media/Luke Marsden

“It’s probably an easy time for people to kick the game at the moment, when its on its knees, but these boys are really keen to show the way forward.

“Off the field we spent a lot of time with the boys developing their culture together as a group, we’ve got a really strong leadership group that drive what they stand for and what they want to do.

“We’re pretty lucky that we’ve got a lot of senior players who are on board, they’re just a great group of young men. They’re really keen.

“We set a goal back in January of what we wanted to do, and they’re pretty ruthless to do it.”

U20s World Cup semi-final

Junior Wallabies 34 (Harry Wilson, Michael McDonald, Lachlan Lonergan, Ben Donaldson tries; Ben Donaldson 4 cons; Ben Donaldson 2 pens) defeated Argentina 13 (Penalty Try; Joaquin De La Vega Mendia 2 pens)