Italy, Georgia, Russia and Spain all emerged victorious on the opening day of the European Under 19 Championship in Portugal on Sunday to remain in contention to secure the region's place at the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2010.
The favourites to secure that qualification berth after being relegated from this year's IRB TOSHIBA Junior World Championship in Japan, Italy were emphatic 45-5 winners over hosts Portugal in Coimbra.
Tommaso Benvenuti and Giovanbattista Venditti both played in that tournament and celebrated their call up to Nick Mallett's squad for the November internationals by crossing the try-line twice and once respectively.
Italy will now face Spain in Coimbra on Wednesday after they endured the toughest encounter of all four winners on the opening day and only edged Belgium 27-24.
Tries from wing Calum Mulderrig, hooker Luis del Moral and centre Julen Goia helped Spain into a 27-17 lead but a Belgian try made for a tense final eight minutes in Lousa.
"It was a very tight match. It was impossible to name a favourite because both teams are at a close level and the final score reflects that," said Michel Arpaillange, the IRB's Regional Development Manager for Europe and the Tournament Director.
Traditional rivalry
The other semi final pits together two fierce rivals in Georgia, the only side in the eight-team tournament to have experienced the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy environment, and Russia after they comfortably overcame Germany and Poland.
Georgia, who finished third in the inaugural Junior World Rugby Trophy in the Chilean capital of Santiago in 2008, were impressive in seeing off the challenge of Germany 34-3 while Russia enjoyed a similar winning margin, 28-8 of Poland.
The winners of these semi finals will move to within one victory of a place in next year's IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy, the venue for which is still to be announced.
Romania, as defending Trophy champions, are already one European side with their place confirmed, while Zimbabwe (Africa), Uruguay (South America) and Papua New Guinea (Oceania) have already confirmed their involvement through the regional qualifying process.
Japan, another side relegated from the IRB TOSHIBA Junior World Championship 2009, will represent Asia, leaving three places still to be filled by the Host Union, the European champions and the North American representative.
The dream of qualification may have ended for the other four sides, but they will continue to battle for fifth to eighth places with Portugal facing Belgium in Lousa and Germany tackling Poland in Anadia on Wednesday.
