Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua's hattrick of tries has spearheaded the New Zealand's Under-20s to the junior world championship in Georgia.
Five of the NZ U20s 10 tries in the final against England were scored by Hurricanes players with Hawke's Bay prop Pouri Rakete-Stones and Wellington lock Isaia Walker-Leawere also on the score sheet during a record 64-17 win.
New Zealand erased the disappointment of being knocked out of the 2016 tournament by winning the U20s world title for the sixth time with captain and flanker Luke Jacobson leading the team to victory.
CAPTION: Wellington lock Isaia Walker-Leawere on the charge against England. PHOTO: Getty Sport
Other Hurricanes players in the NZ U20s squad were prop Alex Fidow, halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, prop Tim Farrell, loose forward Marino Mikaele-Tu'u and first five Tiaan Falcon.
Falcon missed the final due to concussion suffered in the semifinal win over France and was replaced by Stephen Perofeta, who was flown in from New Zealand after being part of the Blues team who beat the British & Irish Lions recently.
It was Perofeta's final conversion of seven that broke the highest score of 62 points scored by New Zealand against Australia in 2010.
England went into the game with the reputation for its forward pack but twice in the first five minutes it was the New Zealand forwards who showed they were ready for the challenge. From a tighthead out from England's 22m area, halfback Ereatara Enari ran the ball blind and the ball moved through four phases before flanker Dalton Papali'i picked up the ball and dived over the ruck for the first try.
Rakete-Stones was next over when he picked up the ball at speed and pushed through a gap for a ninth-minute try.
CAPTION: Hawke's Bay prop Pouri Rakete-Stones crashes over for a try during the NZ Under 20s win over England. PHOTO: Getty Sport
England responded with a try of their own before Aumua and Walker-Leawere both scored within a few minutes and they just kept coming.
Aumua's final act of the game was spectacular. The Avalon club rake scooped up the ball 15m out from England's line and ploughed through four defenders before cork-screwing his way over the line to complete his hat-trick.
CAPTION: Hooker Asafo Aumua scores one of his three tries in the final against England. PHOTO: Getty Sport
There was more to come with turnovers which saw replacement flanker Tom Christie and Jacobson score before the end.
Scorers:
New Zealand Under-20s 64 (Dalton Papali'i, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Asafo Aumua 3, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Luke Jacobson 2, Josh McKay, Tom Christie tries; Stephen Perofeta 7 con) England Under-20s 17 (Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Josh Bayliss tries; Max Malins con). HT: 40-7Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua's hattrick of tries has spearheaded the New Zealand's Under-20s to the junior world championship in Georgia.