Baby Blacks set for Aussie clash

Preview: New Zealand v Australia (Today, 1pm)

New Zealand have had to settle for a fifth-place semi-final against arch rivals Australia today after both sides were pipped by England for a place in the last four.

The Baby Blacks stumbled over the line against Wales in their opening game 27-26 before being comprehensively beaten 35-14 by France in what was a wake up call for New Zealand Rugby.

In the past, the dominance of the Baby Blacks from 2008 to 2011 translated into a formidable All Blacks team from 2011 to 2017.

The last U20 victory for the Baby Blacks was in 2017, with subsequent wins in 2015 and 2016 claimed by England, and 2018 and 2019 claimed by France which critics have argued speaks volumes about NZRU's lack of focus on nurturing young talent.

New Zealand rounded off their pool campaign with a 62-19 rout of Japan but it wasn't enough to overhaul England's +66 points difference.

Australia kicked off their tournament with a 46-37 victory over Fiji but suffered a crucial 30-10 defeat to Ireland.

The Junior Wallabies went into their final game needing a bonus point victory to have any chance of qualifying for the last four but despite pushing England all the way, a 22-22 draw wasn't enough.