The Junior Springboks delivered a strong first half performance against Georgia to win the first of their two international matches by 35-0 at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi on Sunday afternoon, but they had to show a lot of defensive resolve in the second half to keep their determined hosts out.
The South Africans sent out a completely different team in the second half, with Georgia showing real fight, while the Junior Boks couldn’t control the game as well as they did in the opening half.
They committed many handling errors, found themselves on the wrong end of the penalty count and, had to show real determination on defence to prevent the Georgians from scoring. As a result of this arm wrestle, neither team were able to score any points in the second half.
Afterwards, Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote praised his team’s fast start, highlighting how valuable it was to play in the same stadium they will use during the Junior World Championship in June and July.
“We started really well – it was a great hit out for us, especially being able to use the stadium and facilities where we’ll play our Junior World Championship matches (later this year),” Foote explained.
The Junior Boks stormed to a 35–0 halftime lead, clinically capitalising on their opportunities while applying sustained pressure on both sides of the ball.
Scrumhalf Hendre Schoeman got the scoring going with the first try, and he was quickly followed over the whitewash by Danie Kruger (prop), Liam van Wyk (hooker), Kebotile Maake (loose forward) and Gert Kemp (loose forward), all of which were converted by fly half Yaqeen Ahmed.
Although the Junior Boks were in full control on the scoreboard, Foote noted that discipline proved an early challenge: “We had a lot of penalties going against us in the first five minutes, but the guys showed massive character.”
Their ability to absorb pressure, maintain defensive integrity, and convert key moments allowed them to seize full control of the match before the break.
The #JuniorBoks delivered a strong first half performance against Georgia in Tbilisi on Sunday, and Kevin Foote praised the players for their resilience later in the match - more here: https://t.co/5kMLW6a6mR 🫡#JourneyToGreatness pic.twitter.com/kp3bZrcLYE
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With this international fixture providing crucial game time for the entire squad, Foote and his coaching staff opted to make wholesale changes at halftime, bringing on a completely fresh line-up. While the move provided the players with time in the middle, it was understandable that it affected cohesion and rhythm.
“We changed the whole team at halftime just to give everyone a run, but after that, we couldn’t really control the game. The penalty count was just too much, and we had too many handling errors,” said Foote.
Despite the disrupted flow and mounting penalties, the Junior Boks’ defence held firm to keep the rampant Georgia scoreless.
The second half may not have delivered further points, but it offered another measure of the team’s resilience.
Foote praised his players for their determination in keeping Georgia out during extended periods on defence: “The guys were resilient, and even though we didn’t score, we kept them out despite the many penalties and turnovers. There was a lot of courage in our defence.”
The SA U20 coach added that their execution – particularly handling and decision making – will be key focus areas as they prepare for their next match, on Friday also in Tbilisi.
Reflecting on the overall performance, Foote said the outing provided exactly what the team needed at this stage of their preparation: “We learnt some good lessons from both halves, and we’ll build on them going into next week’s test.”
Scorers:
Junior Boks 35 (35) – Tries: Hendre Schoeman, Danie Kruger, Liam van Wyk, Kebotile Maake, Gert Kemp. Conversions: Yaqeen Ahmed (5).
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