Rugby: Under-19s crush Wales to claim world crown

John Boe's New Zealand under-19 side crushed hosts Wales to win the Junior Rugby World Cup, 25-0, in the final at Stradey Park, Llanelli, yesterday.

The teenage All Blacks scored four tries in an utterly clinical performance to win the 30-year-old tournament at their first attempt.

They became the second New Zealand rugby side to pick up a world championship in 12 months, following the Farah Palmer-led Black Ferns' victory in the Women's World Cup in Amsterdam last May.

The question now is whether the All Blacks can make it three in a row in the World Cup at Cardiff in November.

Boe, the former Waikato coach who was handed the under-19 job after the disappointment of missing out on a Super 12 appointment this season, said: "We hope this win will prove a boost for New Zealand rugby.

"We've had a few downers over the last six months or so and hopefully we have helped change that situation."

He revealed that he had changed his pre-match routine to motivate his players to perform in front of a capacity crowd.

"Immediately before the game I got them together in the changing sheds which I hadn't done in other games and I told them I believed in them and so did three million people back in New Zealand.

"I talked to them about attack, which is our natural game, and self-belief.

"I felt that self-belief was essential today in front of all these Welsh supporters, when some of our players had hardly been away from home much before this tournament."

Wellington winger Gerrard Fasavalu scored two tries while Auckland winger Malili Maliana and Canterbury openside flanker Richard McCaw added the others.

Wellington first five-eighths Riki Flutey landed a conversion and a penalty goal.

Fasavalu's first try in the corner was from a planned blindside move, which they had been saving up all tournament, and helped New Zealand to a 10-0 half-time lead.

In the second half, Canterbury second five-eighths Aaron Mauger showed brilliant vision with a clever blindside kick when the opposition backs were swarming to the open. The kick was scooped up by Maliana who scored wide out.

Wellington No. 8 Jerry Collins had another storming match along with skipper and hooker Joe Ward, Maliana, Fasavalu and props Clarke Dermody and Campbell Johnston.

"This is a great result for New Zealand rugby because the pressure was always on us," manager Kevin Gimblett said. "It was real test match rugby and we gave nothing away in the slippery conditions.

"The boys performed a haka before kickoff but you couldn't hear them because they were drowned out by the Welsh singing."

The squad arrives back in Auckland at 5am tomorrow. - NZPA