France Under-20s play their final pool match of the U20 World Championship against Australia U20 on Tuesday at 4pm in Kutaisi, Georgia, live on La Chaîne L’Équipe. Despite a perfect record against Fiji and then Spain (57-32), there is a great deal at stake: only top spot in Pool D brings a direct ticket to the semi-finals. Head coach Cédric Laborde has chosen to lean on his certainties.

A pool decider worth a semi-final

The competition format leaves no margin: the winner of this France U20 v Australia U20 will take sole possession of top spot in Pool D and qualify directly for the last four. France may have recorded two bonus-point wins, against Fiji (45-15) and then Spain (57-32), but this third match amounts to a quarter-final. The new format sends only the winners of the four pools into the semi-finals. One happy memory for France, at least: the last meeting with the Junior Wallabies, in the 2019 World Championship final, went the way of Arthur Vincent’s generation (24-23).

Opposite them, the Junior Wallabies have the best attack in the competition: 90 points put on Spain, then 53 on Fiji. “We will have to move very quickly in defence so as not to leave them space in broken play. They attack the edges very well,” warned centre Adrien Drault, who revealed that France had trained with Italy to prepare for that style of play.

Laborde recalls the Grand Slam core

Having rotated against Fiji and Spain, Cédric Laborde has recalled the senior men from the Grand Slam won in the last U20 Six Nations: ten changes from the side that faced Spain. Gabin Garault returns at hooker in a front row completed by Mathéo Frisach and Alexandre Langlois, rewarded for his impact off the bench with a first start. Baptiste Veschambre and Roméo Bonnard-Martin re-form the second row, and Elyjah Ibsaiene returns at No. 8 alongside captain Lucas Andjisseramatchi and Raphaël Audebert.

Behind, Luka Keletaona keeps the fly-half shirt with Baptiste Tilloles at scrum-half, preferred to Valentin Hutteau. Adrien Drault, who joined mid-tournament, takes the inside centre berth vacated by Timéo Frier, and Axel Guillaud starts at full-back in the absence of Joachim Senga-Kouo. Yanis Basse is out with a neck injury, while Marceau Marzullo and Tana Keletaona are still missing after picking up injuries before the tournament.

The France U20 team

Guillaud; Cazemajou-Noudofinin, Drault, Rasal, Rates; (fly-half) Keletaona, (scrum-half) Tilloles; Andjisseramatchi (capt.), Ibsaiene, Audebert; Bonnard-Martin, Veschambre; Langlois, Garault, Frisach.

Hugo Avogadro, who scored twice against Spain, waits on the bench as a high-class understudy, as does Diego Jurd, a starter in the first two matches.