Round 2 of the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship takes place on Friday the 4th of July across two Italian venues, namely Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini in Rovigo and Stadio Luigi Zaffanella in Viadana. With teams now firmly into the tournament feel, many of the matches hold key implications for pool standings. We will have a look at all six clashes from a betting perspective off.
The bookies have England and France both priced at 3.50 favourites to win the Championship closely followed by New Zealand and South Africa trading at 4.30 and 4.50, respectively.
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POOL A
Australia vs Scotland – 15:30 SAST, Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
Handicap: Australia -21.5 – click here to bet
Australia, who are placed last on the log, were dismantled 73-17 by South Africa in Round 1 and will want to bounce back quickly. They showed flashes of attacking intent but failed to execute when it mattered last weekend and they will look to work on this during the build up to this weekend’s clash.
Scotland did not have the start they had hoped for and were outplayed by England on Sunday where they struggled with defensive structure, in the end the match concluded with a scoreline of 56-19 which puts them in 3rd in Pool A. They will be eager to put up a solid performance against Australia and boost overall confidence within the squad.
England vs South Africa – 18:00 SAST, Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo
Handicap: England -3.5
The clash of two unbeaten sides promises to be one of the games of the round and will be crucial in terms of which team tops the Pool.
England were clinical in their 37-point triumph over Scotland and looked incredible on attack, creating opportunities frequently and always keeping the scoreboard ticking.
South Africa’s dominant display against Australia, was enough for them to be in 1st on the table and laid down a warning to their opponents that they are gunning for the trophy.
This match promises to be a physical contest where set piece and decision-making will win the encounter.
POOL B
France vs Wales – 15:30 SAST, Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo
Handicap: France -22.5 – click here to bet
France started their Championship run with a commanding 49-11 win over Spain to put themselves on top of the log and their lineup looks sharp in all departments. They will certainly be contenders for the title and are likely to top their Group.
Wales narrowly lost 34-27 to Argentina in their first match on Sunday, despite holding the lead at halftime and are currently in 3rd in Pool B. Notably they did show that they possess some attacking flair, and they will be determined to cause an upset against the French on Friday.
France hammered Wales 63-19 in the Six Nations.
Argentina vs Spain – 20:30 SAST, Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo
Handicap: Argentina -25.5 – click here to bet
Argentina’s comeback win over Wales to pick a 7-point victory showcased their grit and they are a durable unit. They will look to build on this start with a dominant display in round 2 and they will look to keep the pressure on the French ahead of their matchup in round 3.
Spain, contrastingly, are still adjusting to the intensity of this level and they were comfortably beaten by France, falling 38 points short of their opponents to kick off their campaign which puts them in 4th after round 1. They have a long way to go as a squad in order to compete with the best but will take in valuable lessons throughout their tournament.
POOL C
New Zealand vs Georgia – 18:00 SAST, Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
Handicap: New Zealand -19.5 – click here to bet
New Zealand had to work hard when they faced off against Italy in Round 1 and after 80 minutes the scoreline reflected a low scoring 14-5 win for the Kiwis. This time around they will aim to produce a more fluid performance which contains more points on their end in an attempt to top their Group.
Georgia pushed Ireland all the way in their opening match, ultimately going down 35–28 in a tightly contested game. They are third on the table and will once again look to their powerful scrum and maul to unsettle their opponents.
Ireland vs Italy – 20:30 SAST, Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
Handicap: Ireland -5.5 – click here to bet
Ireland began their competition with a fixture against Georgia where they started strong but, in the end, just survived and pulled off a 7-point victory.
Italy showed strong defensive structure in their opener in order to restrict New Zealand to just 14 points, although they only crossed the white line once themselves. They will put up a huge fight against Ireland this Friday with home support cheering them on.
Italy beat Ireland 15-12 at home in the Six Nations.
My Bets:
South Africa to beat England at 2.63
The Baby Boks were excellent against Australia and while England won by a big margin against Scotland it was pretty much what the bookies expected.
Argentina -25.5 v Spain at 1.95
Argentina were not convincing against Wales but they got the job done and I expect a dominant win against Spain that faded late against France.
Italy to beat ireland at 2.80
The Italian result against New Zealand was impressive and I think they can beat Ireland with the help of their home fans.
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
