Tries were the order of the day in both Kutaisi and Tbilisi as the fifth and 13th place semi-finals took place with Scotland, Wales, Japan and Spain all tasting victory on Sunday.
Argentina and Australia had sat top of their pools and been dreaming of a semi-final appearance going into the final round of matches, but will now meet in the seventh place play-off after suffering losses in entertaining matches against Scotland and Wales respectively at Avchala Stadium in the Georgian capital.
Japan and Spain, meanwhile, picked up their first wins of the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 after running in a combined 20 tries to see off USA and Japan in the 13th place semi-finals at AIA Arena in Kutaisi.
The round continues on Monday when France face New Zealand and defending champions South Africa tackle England in the semi-finals in Tbilisi, while the ninth place semi-finals in Kutaisi will see hosts Georgia meet Italy and Ireland face Fiji.
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Fifth place semi-finals
ARGENTINA 26-44 SCOTLAND: Roberts at the double as Scotland show their class
Joe Roberts took his tally to five tries in four games as Scotland kept alive hopes of matching their best-ever finish of fifth place with an impressive defeat of Argentina in the first fifth place semi-final in Tbilisi on Sunday.
The hooker and captain touched down either side of half-time at Avchala Stadium as Fergus Pringle’s young guns outscored Los Pumitas by seven tries to three in an entertaining affair.
Prop Ollie Blyth-Lafferty crashed over from close range to cap a period of sustained pressure for Scotland’s opening try before Roberts went over for his first as his side moved through the gears, adding a third try before the break through winger Nairn Moncrieff.
That left Scotland 19-7 ahead after the break as Argentina's only first-half points came via a 27th-minute penalty try.
The Scots turned on the style in the second half, scoring four more tries through Hamish MacArthur, Roberts, Oliver McKenna and Harvey Preston.
Argentina showed what they are made off too, running in three tries of their own through Bautista Lescano, Pedro Coll and Ramon Fernandez to restore more than a semblance of respectability.
AUSTRALIA 36-38 WALES: Wales edge classic encounter to seal play-off with Scotland
Wales heaved a sigh of relief after Australia had what would have been a late match-winning try ruled out to come out on top of an enthralling affair at Avchala Stadium and book a fifth place play-off with Scotland on Friday.
Jonty Fowler thought he'd snatched victory when he dived over after the Junior Wallabies went 80 metres but the TMO intervened with a knock-on earlier in the move, leaving Wales to celebrate a first win over Australia since the 2018 tournament in France.
Australia battled against huge adversity after losing four players to injury during the opening quarter but Wales were not to be denied as they ground out a hard-earned success. Australia second-row Will Ross was forced off inside three minutes before Marshall Le Maitre also departed with highly-rated Treyvon Pritchard and prop Lehopoame Leota also succumbing to injury.
Pritchard was hurt in a tackle as he carried the ball and had to be helped off the field in clear discomfort with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury.
Wales capitalised on the upheaval within the Junior Wallabies’ ranks by scoring twice in quick succession, as winger Rhys Cummings brilliantly pounced on his own grubber kick to touch down before centre Osian Lewis added a second to make it 14-0.
However, Australia steadied themselves and hit back spectacularly as replacement full-back Tom Farr-Jones scored twice, either side of an effort from scrum-half Sam Blank to put his side 17-14 ahead.
Cummings’ second immediately after the restart restored Wales’ lead and co-captain Deian Gwynne added a fourth Welsh try, before Australia winger Riley Whitfeld acrobatically dived over in the left corner to cut the deficit to nine points.
Wales had Luke Evans sent off and Australia sensed a way back with Edwin Langi and John Greenfell crossing, but a penalty try in between ultimately proved the difference between the teams after Fowler's effort was ruled out.
13th place semi-finals
JAPAN 71-21 USA: Iwakura and Miura at the treble as Japan register entertaining win
Japan ended a 19-match losing run at the Junior World Championship with an impressive 11-try performance against USA to record their first victory of the 2026 edition in Georgia.
It was Japan's first win since they defeated Samoa 29-12 in the ninth place semi-final in 2015 and the most points they have ever scored in a match in the tournament's history with Rio Iwakura and Sota Miura both claiming hat-tricks.
Iwakura, who went into the match as the leading carry-maker in the tournament with 37, did superbly to crash over the line from close range for the opening try.
USA, still searching for their first-ever JWC victory, soon hit back through Frank Finicle but there was an energy about Japan as Iwakura scored again before Isa Fukada added a third. Winger Shinnosuke Uchida scored Japan’s fourth before USA replied through centre Dane Mitchell to leave the scores at 28-14 to Japan at the break.
The try-fest continued in the second half as Uchida scored a wonderful second try, chipping over the USA defence inside the right channel before regathering possession to touch down. Iwakura then completed his treble before Japan claimed further scores from Kohaku Suda, Miura with an 18-minute hat-trick and Keitatsu Motoyama.
USA’s third try came from William Darbishire but replacement prop Alfie Booth saw red late on as Japan secured just their fourth win in 34 Junior World Championship matches.
SPAIN 57-6 URUGUAY: Marsinyac at the double as Los Leones U20 outclass Uruguay
Spain turned on the style with a dominant nine-try victory over Uruguay at AIA Arena in Kutaisi to set up a 13th place play-off against Japan on Friday.
Highly-rated centre Oriol Marsinyac enhanced his growing reputation with two more tries to take his tally for this Junior World Championship to six in four games.
This was the first-ever Junior World Championship meeting between Spain and Uruguay and victory for Los Leones U20 saw them end a run of eight defeats dating back to a 24-19 win over Fiji in the 11th place play-off in their debut campaign in 2024.
Unax Salvador Asama, Daniel Chico Ayo and Ivan Farace scored first-half tries before Marsinyac took centre stage after the break. A centre who can also play back row and caught the eye last year in Italy, Marsinyac has gone on to make his senior debut in the 2026 Rugby Europe Men's Championship.
He scored twice in 15 second-half minutes against Uruguay before Mauro del Campo, Marcal Carreras Cuesta (two) and Alfonso Enciso also got in on the act to underline Spain’s superiority.
