The Chennai leg of the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 finally delivered drama on Sunday, producing four thrilling encounters at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium.
France stunned Australia with an emphatic 8-3 victory in Pool F, while Japan secured a crucial win to keep knockout hopes alive.
France and Australia renewed their rivalry in a rematch of the previous edition’s quarterfinals. Victor Saint-Martin opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a precise drag-flick, but Australia responded quickly through Matthew Hawthorne’s dazzling tomahawk strike. Patrick Andrews and Ian Grobbelaar added goals to give the Burras a 3-1 lead, only for James Liddiard to pull one back before halftime.
After the break, France seized control. Tom Gaillard equalised within two minutes, and the French midfield dictated play. Gabriel Piole’s sweeping finish early in the final quarter gave France the lead, followed by Hugo Dolou’s strike. Australia coach Jay Stacy gambled by withdrawing his goalkeeper, but Malo Martinache and Gaillard ruthlessly punished the open net. Gaillard completed his hat-trick, sealing an 8-3 triumph that pushed France closer to the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere, Japan eliminated China with a 3-2 win in Pool C, powered by penalty corner goals from Shu Ono and Shun Hara, plus a field strike from Kazuki Terasaka. New Zealand held Argentina to a 3-3 draw, thanks to Jonty Elmes’s hat-trick, while Bangladesh fought back to draw 3-3 with South Korea through Amirul Islam’s drag-flick treble.
