Junior Springboks dominate Australia with 73-17 victory in World Rugby U20 Championship opener in Italy
RUGBY
Junior Springbok lock JJ Theron masters a lineout as the rest of the forwards set up for one of their storming rolling mauls in their World Rugby U20 Championship clash against Australia on Sunday.
Image: Sabrina Conforti | World Rugby.
The Junior Springboks racked up 11 tries against Australia to get their campaign in the World Rugby U20 Championship off to a powerful start in Calvisano, Italy.
It was a game built on absolute physical dominance by the pack of forwards and some excellent strike-running from the backline that laid the foundation for the 73-17 victory over the young Australians. It was sweet revenge for head coach Kevin Foote and his side against a team who beat them last month in Gqeberha during the U20 Rugby Championship.
South Africa dominated from the start and had already secured the four-try bonus point after 35 minutes in the match. They scored five of their tries in the first half with some great interplay between the forwards and backs. At the start of the second half, they continued on the same path and concluded the final forty with six tries – the last one right on the full-time whistle.
While the backline was full of running as they scored some brilliant tries, including the first one of scrumhalf Haashim Pead where they ran from almost on their own try line, the set pieces fired as well. They were excellent with their lineouts and rolling mauls, although some improvement will be needed in the scrums where they conceded some penalties.
Pead was at the helm of plenty of the Junior Boks’ attacking plays. That break he made off a scrum to set up winger Siya Ndlozi for his first of two tries was excellent. He sniped on the blindside and caught the Australian defence napping to hit the gap. With the pass, the scrumhalf threw a pass on the inside for Ndlozi to run onto for the try.
This five-pointer and his first try will be early contenders for the try of the tournament.
There were some lapses in defence that allowed the Aussies to score three tries, but the Baby Boks’ defence late in the game, to prevent a bonus-point try for the Junior Wallabies was excellent. They ensured their rivals walked away with no points from the clash and their biggest-ever loss to a South Africa U20 side.
Points scorers
Junior Springboks 73 (33): Tries: Haashim Pead (2), Herman Lubbe, Siya Ndlozi (2), Cheswill Jooste, Gilermo Mento, JJ Theron, Jaco Grobbelaar, Xola Nyali, Jaco Williams. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (7), Ian van der Merwe. Australia U20s 17 (5): Tries: Sidney Harvey, Cooper Watters (2). Conversion: Harvey.