The Junior Springboks started their U20 Rugby Championship campaign with a 48-21 victory over Argentina in Gqeberha on Monday, racing into a 36-0 lead at the break and although the visitors fought back in the second half, the South Africans did enough to move to the top of the log after the first round of the SANZAAR competition.
The SA U20s were superb in the first half and although it wasn’t a faultless display, the 10,398 spectators were treated to a great game on a sunny and cool Freedom Day afternoon at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, with Ethan Adams’ strong running and Jack Benade’s hat-trick two of the highlights of the game.
The Junior Boks started like a house on fire, with Adams (inside centre) bursting through numerous tackles for the first try in the second minute, and scrumhalf Hendré Schoeman’s converted try from pick-and-drives close to Argentina’s line making it 12-0 after 10 minutes.
Yaqeen Ahmed (flyhalf) then waltzed through from and attacking lineout and Benade (wing) followed suit, scoring a brilliant try from a pin-point cross-kick from the Junior Bok No 10 after some enterprising attacking play, to make it 24-0 after 20 minutes.
Adams and Benade scored their second tries, with the SA U20 inside centre again busting tackles and the speedster going over from a great grubber by Alzeadon Felix (fullback), to make it 36-0 at the break.
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The Junior Boks failed to build on this strong start in the second half, adding only two more tries to their tally, while Argentina also started playing with a bit more composure to avert a whitewash. The South African bench probably disrupted their flow a bit, while the Pumitas’ replacements had the opposite effect.
Oliver Reid (replacement prop) became the first forward to score and his converted try, in the 51st minute, stretched the score to 43-0, before Benade grabbed his hat-trick try four minutes later to make it 48-0.
Argentina scored their first try just over an hour in when Federico Torre (replacement loose forward) crashed over, and their flanker and captain, Tomás Dande, followed suit with five minutes to go. Both were converted by Manuel Giannantonio (flyhalf) to make it 48-14.
Torre grabbed his second at the death and the successful conversion saw the Argentineans “win” the second half 21-12, but the Junior Boks’ brilliant first half performance was enough to seal a bonus-point win.
Scorers:
Junior Springboks: Tries: Ethan Adams (2), Hendré Schoeman, Yaqeen Ahmed, Jack Benade (3), Oliver Reid. Conversions: Yaqeen Ahmed (4).
Pumitas: Tries: Federico Torre (2), Tomás Dande. Conversions: Manuel Giannantonio (3).
Teams:
Junior Springboks: 15 Alzeadon Felix, 14 Jack Benade, 13 Samuel Badenhorst, 12 Ethan Adams, 11 Lindsey Jansen, 10 Yaqeen Ahmed, 9 Hendré Schoeman, 8 Kebotile Maake, 7 Thomas Beling, 6 Luke Canon, 5 Riley Norton (captain), 4 Heinrich Theron, 3 Danie Kruger, 2 Liam van Wyk, 1 Rambo Kubheka. Replacements: 16 Mahle Sithole, 17 Oliver Reid, 18 Kai Pratt, 19 JD Hattingh, 20 Risima Khosa, 21 Jayden Brits, 22 Vusi Moyo, 23 Khuthadzo Rasivhaga.
Argentina U20: 15 Luciano Avaca, 14 Constantino Keller, 13 Ramón Fernández, 12 Pedro Coll, 11 Mateo Tanoni, 10 Manuel Giannantonio, 9 Ignacio Zabella, 8 Basilio Cañas, 7 Joaquín Pascual Viale, 6 Tomás Dande (captain), 5 Agustín Ponzio, 4 Jeremy Annand, 3 Bautista Salinas Mealla, 2 Nicolás Cambiasso, 1 Benjamín Farias Cerioni. Replacements: 16 Manuel Cuneo Camargo, 17 Fabrizio Cebron, 18 Federico Narváez, 19 Jerónimo Sorondo, 20 Federico Torre, 21 Juan Preumayr, 22 Benjamín Ordiz, 23 Simón Pfister.
In the opening game of the tournament earlier on Monday afternoon, the defending champions, New Zealand, fought back in the second half to beat Australia by 34-29, with the Junior Wallabies paying the price for some ill-discipline after the break that allowed the Kiwis to fight back and take the win.
Scorers:
Australia: Tries: Marshall Le Maitre, Riley Whitfeld, Taione Taka, Finn Mackay, Jaques. Conversions: Finn Mackay (2).
New Zealand: Tries: Cohen Norrie (2), Henry Stuart, Haki Wiseman, Caleb Woodley, Logan Williams. Conversions: Mika Mulaina (2).
Teams:
Australia U20: 15 Louis Fenwicke, 14 Riley Whitfeld, 13 Leo Jaques, 12 Frankie Goldsbrough, 11 Cooper Watters, 10 Finn Mackay, 9 Angus Grover, 8 Eli Langi, 7 Marshall Le Maitre, 6 Tom Robinson (c), 5 Isaac Fonua, 4 Will Ross, 3 Edwin Langi, 2 Ewald Kruger, 1 Jacob Job. Replacements: 16 Tyler Maybery, 17 Harper Strachan, 18 Jonah Rangiwai, 19 Kenneth Harris, 20 Cooper Eagle, 21 Sam Blank, 22 Jonty Fowler, 23 Taione Taka.
New Zealand U20: 15 Cohen Norrie, 14 Oliver Guerin, 13 David Lewai, 12 Haki Wiseman, 11 Siale Pahulu, 10 Mika Muliaina, 9 Charlie Sinton, 8 Patrick Mauga, 7 Caleb Woodley, 6 Finn McLeod, 5 Jake Frost, 4 Max Fale, 3 Dane Johnston, 2 Josh Findlay, 1 Henry Stuart. Replacements: 16 Luka Patumaka Makata, 17. Ethan Webber, 18, Alexander Hewitt, 19. John Falloon, 20, Micah Fale, 2,1 Jackson Hughan, 22 Jay Reihana, 23 Logan Williams.