The young Junior Boks have completed the pool phase of the World Rugby Junior World Championship with a 100 percent record, beating Wales U20 52-33 at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi on Tuesday.
It wasn’t the routine procession the final scoreline suggests.
Wales, unbeaten themselves coming into the match, tore into the Junior Boks from the kick-off.
Winger Caio James crossed inside three minutes, converted by Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, and Steffan Emanuel added a second try soon after. Just nine minutes in, the defending champions found themselves 14-0 down in a match they had to win to guarantee a home run into the semi-finals.
The response was immediate.
Hendre Schoeman got the Junior Boks on the board in the 11th minute, and Ethan Adams followed with a try of his own five minutes later, both converted by Yaqeen Ahmed.
There was a personal storyline behind those conversions. Ahmed started at flyhalf in place of the concussion-sidelined Luan Giliomee, making his first appearance since serving a suspension picked up on SA ‘A’ duty. He didn’t put a foot wrong off the tee all afternoon, finishing the match with six successful conversions.
From there, the Junior Boks began to find their rhythm, working through captain Siphosethu Mnebelele’s driving-maul game to chip away at the deficit.
Wales lost flanker Jac Pritchard to a yellow card in the 34th minute, and the extra man told almost immediately.
Mnebelele delivered exactly what his side needed. The hooker crossed twice in the contest, continuing the form that saw him score twice against Georgia in the previous round.
Heinrich Theron added another try just before the break, and with Wales still down to 14 men, the Junior Boks led 26-14 at half-time, four tries to two.
Risima Khosa extended the lead early in the second half, but the ill-discipline crept into the South African side too. Cheswill Jooste was sin-binned in the 47th minute, and Wales made the extra man count almost straight away.
Wales refused to fold. Replacement Osian Darwin-Lewis and winger Tom Bowen both crossed in the second half to keep the scoreboard pressure on, and for a spell the match stayed within reach of an upset.
“Wales came out swinging and for ten minutes it looked like the Junior Boks might actually be caught cold. What stood out was how quickly they reset. No panic, just composure, and that’s exactly what you want to see from a group defending a title.” -✍️ JAY | JPS
The turning point came from the bench.
Liam van Wyk, on for Mnebelele just after the hour mark, scored twice in quick succession to push the lead out of Wales’ reach. Mnebelele himself picked up a yellow card late on, in the 75th minute, but by then the game was well beyond Wales.
Lewis Edwards grabbed a late consolation try for Wales in the 78th minute, but by then the result was long settled.
The 52-33 scoreline means the Junior Boks finish the pool phase with three wins from three: a 104-7 demolition of Uruguay, a hard-fought 33-5 win over hosts Georgia, and now this comeback win over a stubborn Wales side.
They top Pool A and head into the semi-finals as the form team of the tournament, unbeaten and untested in defeat all campaign. The semi-finals are set for Sunday 12 or Monday 13 July, with the Junior Boks’ opponent still to be confirmed.
For Wales, it’s a case of what might have been. They matched the defending champions for large stretches of this match and will rue the lapses either side of half-time that let the contest slip away.
Images via SA Junior Rugby
