Junior All Blacks win World Champs.

The New Zealand under-20 rugby team withstood the challenge from England to land their fourth successive junior world championship title with a 33-22 victory in the final in Padova, Italy this morning.

It took a try to fullback Beauden Barrett six minutes from time to secure the win for New Zealand who were pushed hard by an England side that were willing to spread the ball and determined to end their unbeaten run in the competition's four-year history. Beauden Barrett's try and two others to winger Charles Piutau and prop Ben Tameifuna and 18 points from the boot of first five-eighths Gareth Anscombe were enough to earn them the title.

Both sides scored three tries each, but it was the boot of man of the match Gareth Anscombe, who was successful with all seven shots at goal, which proved to be the difference. Captain Luke Whitelock, a member of the winning side last year, was proud to retain their 100 percent record in the tournament.

Coach Mark Anscombe paid tribute to the way his side defended in the second half when they came under pressure from England "That's a very good England team and they really took it to us they beat us in a lot of areas today but we showed a little bit of character out there today and hung in there," he said.

England started the better of the two sides, pinning the defending champions deep in their own territory for the opening quarter and were ahead after electric winger Christian Wade avoided halfback TJ Perenara to cross for the opening try in the seventh minute.

It was a struggle for New Zealand to make any headway as England first five-eighths George Ford, at 18 the youngest player at the tournament, kept driving the ball behind them. But when New Zealand did break out they looked threatening and winger Mitchell Scott was denied a try in the corner before Anscombe got them on the board via a penalty midway through the half.

Wade's second try after a kick and chase narrowed the gap to a point, and, with England's set-piece dominating, New Zealand's hold on the trophy looked shaky at best. But another Anscombe penalty extended the lead to four points before Barrett kicked through a pass from Piutau to finally end England's hopes and Anscombe, fittingly, added the conversion.