England's youngsters gave the Baby Blacks the fright of their lives but still finished on the losing side in the Junior World Cup final.
This New Zealand team are accustomed to chewing up all before them. Their first three Junior World Cups would be better described as search-and-destroy missions than tournaments. Nobody had even come close. England, to their enormous credit, came close.
Up against a side who had never lost a match in this tournament's history, whose worst result was a 14-point victory and who had already racked up 241 points in the last three weeks and conceded only 29, they came out without a shred of fear.
Wade to go: England's wing goes in for the first try (above) but New Zealand celebrated in the end (below)
For 20 minutes at least they did not so much as rip up the script as soak it in petrol and set it alight. On a balmy evening in northern Italy, proceedings began with a Maori dance and continued with an English ambush.
The Haka was fierce. It was so well choreographed you sense the Baby Blacks were practising their Kamates in kindergarten while their Anglo-Saxon counterparts were mucking about in the ball pool.
England had a clear plan to use the breeze in the first half and pin New Zealand in their own territory. It worked and the pressure was with England.
Strong defence from a quick lineout forced a turnover and a beautiful inside ball from Owen Farrell found Christian Wade, who stepped back outside - and possibly into touch - before crossing the line. New Zealand scratched their heads but England found themselves 7-0 up.
It was a brutal, adult encounter with hard hits and harsh lessons.
The Baby Blacks struggled to hold on to possession but when they did they looked threatening and it was only thanks to a try-saving intervention from Henry Thomas that they did not reply immediately.
A prop is not supposed to be able to stop a winger in the five-metre channel but that is exactly what Thomas did. Midway through the first half England were caught napping when New Zealand took another quick lineout.
Hooker Codie Taylor burst into space and, alongside try-scorer Charles Piutau, turned a helpless Ben Ransom into knots before crossing over and putting New Zealand in front.
The England full back did not deserve the treatment - he was the game's most explosive attacker and one of few players who found room in the face of a sea of black. He runs with the balance of Ben Foden, and Saracens are blessed to have yet another bright England talent on their books.
A try just before half-time, when New Zealand prop Ben Tameifuna emerged from a crawling pile of ants, gave the defending champions a 10-point cushion, but England still refused to cave.
No fear: England pushed the all-conquering Baby Blacks right to the limit
Italian job: England had the benefit of a large following cheering them on from the stands
Ten minutes later an inside flick from fly-half George Ford set up Matt Kvesic, who stumbled over the line with defenders hanging off him but was denied by the television match official.
Farrell's Premiership class soon came to the fore in the second half with surely the pass of the tournament. It floated over the defence and into the hands of Thomas, who this time turned try-scorer.
The final English flourish was a break from Elliot Daly - fresh from dazzling Twickenham crowds at the Daily Mail Schools Cup final last month - who broke a tackle then lofted a perfect chip for Wade to pounce on.
It was England's last chance to celebrate before the Baby Blacks tightened the screw and saw the game out. A kick-and-chase try from Beauden Barrett and the metronomic boot of Gareth Anscombe saw to that.
Afterwards England captain Alex Gray admitted: 'It was a tough battle and I imagine it was quite good watching. We came here thinking we could take it and if things had been different way we could have done.'
Coach Rob Hunter, a keen mountaineer who found this one peak too high to climb, looked to the future, saying: 'We're terribly disappointed but the guys will be much better for the experience and we'll see some of these guys in a white shirt against a black shirt again in the future.
'New Zealand were really strong at the breakdown. We seemed to take a little bit of time to deal with some of the interpretations there and they were very physical in that area and at times that just let them off the hook. We couldn't keep the pressure on because they kept winning some of the small battles.'
The positives. This England team is oozing with the ball-playing quality that has been so lacking from the senior team since 2003.
If Martin Johnson's men can show as much heart in New Zealand as their Under 20s showed here last night, there could be one hell of a party Down Under this year.
Infor from http://www.dailymail.co.uk
