CAPE TOWN – Junior Springbok head coach Bafana Nhleko praised his players’ dedication and character as they beat Wales to finish their 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship campaign on a positive note in Cape Town on Friday.
With their pack of forwards setting the tone, the Junior Springbok regained some pride when they beat Wales by 47-31 (half-time 19-5) in their seventh-place playoff.
The South Africans scored seven tries – six of them by the forwards – with livewire No 8 Sibabalwe Mahashe and team captain Zachary Porthen (prop) scoring a brace of five-pointers each.
There were still a few soft moments, but overall, the Junior Boks can be satisfied with their performance, probably their best of the Championship, as they really made a step up after disappointing results against Argentina and England.
The Junior Boks’ direct approach laid the platform for the winning performance as they led 19-5 at the interval, and although they let in a couple of tries after the break, they continued to apply pressure with some impressive attacking rugby to finish the tournament on a winning note.
Speaking afterwards, Nhleko praised the character of the team to bounce back after two difficult weeks, which saw them ending on the losing side three times in as many games.
Image: @SAJuniorRugby/Twitter.
