Aumua hattrick spurs NZ U20s to victory

Wellington hooker Asafo Aumua's hattrick of tries has spearheaded the New Zealand's Under-20s to the junior world championship in Georgia.

The Avalon club rake was involved in everything as the NZ U20s ran in 10 tries during a record 64-17 win over England in the final with Poneke lock Isaia Walker-Leawere also on the scoresheet.

Aumua and Walker-Leawere were two of five Wellington players in the New Zealand squad along with Oriental-Rongotai prop Alex Fidow, Tawa halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, and Wainuiomata midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen.

New Zealand's win erased the disappointment of being knocked out of the 2016 tournament by winning the U20s world title for the sixth time with captain and flanker Luke Jacobson leading the team to victory.

The winning margin in the final erased the previous highest score of 62 points scored by a New Zealand Under 20s team at the tournament, against Australia in 2010.

England went into the game with the reputation for its forward pack but twice in the first five minutes it was the New Zealand forwards who showed they were ready for the challenge. From a tighthead out from England's 22m area, halfback Ereatara Enari ran the ball blind and the ball moved through four phases before flanker Dalton Papali'i picked up the ball and dived over the ruck for the first try.

Prop Pouri Rakete-Stones was next over when he picked up the ball at speed and pushed through a gap for a ninth-minute try.

England responded with a try of their own before Aumua and Walker-Leawere both scored within a few minutes and they just kept coming.

Aumua's final act of the game was spectacular. The Avalon bulldozer scooped up the ball 15m out from England's line and ploughed through four defenders before cork-screwing his way over the line to complete his hat-trick.

There was more to come with turnovers which saw replacement flanker Tom Christie and Jacobson score before the end.

Scorers: New Zealand Under-20s 64 (Dalton Papali'i, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Asafo Aumua 3, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Luke Jacobson 2, Josh McKay, Tom Christie tries; Stephen Perofeta 7 con) England Under-20s 17 (Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Josh Bayliss tries; Max Malins con). HT: 40-7