Junior Springbok assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa praised the composure and belief shown by the SA U20s after they fought back from an eight point first-half deficit to beat England and book their place in the Junior World Championship final against France.
The Junior Boks trailed 20-12 at halftime after England made a strong start and placed them under pressure in a fiercely contested semifinal, but a much-improved second-half display saw the SA U20s take control of the match and secure a memorable 53-37 victory.
Mthethwa, the team’s attack coach, said the coaching staff were pleased with the way the players absorbed England’s early pressure before responding with greater precision after the break.
“We knew the first half was going to be very, very tough,” said Mthethwa.
“They had a plan and they tried to stop us, and they did that very well. Credit to the boys – they handled that well.”
According to Mthethwa, the message at halftime was clear and measured, with the Junior Bok coaches encouraging the players to trust their preparation and stay accurate rather than chase the game.
“At halftime we identified a few opportunities we needed to take,” he explained. “In the second half we were able to take control and those opportunities, which was great.”
Mthethwa said the players’ ability to remain calm under scoreboard pressure was one of the most pleasing aspects of the performance: “We spoke about our detail and accuracy, and the guys responded very well.”
That belief was reflected in a strong second-half performance, with Khuthadzo Rasivhaga scoring three tries as South Africa turned pressure into points.
The Junior Bok wing said they had expected England to come hard at them early and knew they had to stay in the contest.
“We spoke about it during the week and we knew England were going to come hard in that first 40 minutes,” said Rasivhaga.
“We had to contain them and stay in the fight, kept backing ourselves and stayed patient. We weren’t as accurate as we wanted to be in the first half, but we started the second half much better, and we took our opportunities.”
Despite his scoring heroics, Rasivhaga was quick to credit the work of the pack and the collective effort that allowed the Junior Boks to find space and finish their opportunities: “The forwards did a fantastic job. We’ve worked hard together during the week, and they did exactly what was required. They gave us good ball and created the platform for us to play.”
The Junior Bok enjoyed a training free day on Tuesday, participating in a World Rugby coaching clinic with children from local clubs. They will resume training on Wednesday in their build-up towards Saturday’s final against France.