Sizzling Junior Boks crowned U20 champs after thrashing Aussies

The on-fire Junior Boks were crowned U20 Rugby Championship winners for the first time with a match to spare when they beat Australia 56-17 in the second round of the four-team tournament in Gqeberha on Sunday.

Thanks to the commanding bonus point win, the Boks opened an unbeatable lead at the top of the log ahead of the final round of matches on Saturday.

After beating Australia in their opening match, New Zealand crashed to a shock 25-17 loss against Argentina in Sunday’s early second-round match.

SA will next face New Zealand in the third round of the tournament at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 4.10pm).

The Baby Boks and Australia got the second game off to a blistering start with both sides showing their attacking intent in the opening minutes of the clash.

It was SA who struck the first blow of the contest when they spread the ball wide and wing Jack Benade dotted down in the 13th minute.

The Wallabies were down to 14 men after 15 minutes when Leo Jaques was on the receiving end of a yellow card from referee Gonzalo de Achaval for a high tackle.

Showing plenty of pace and strength, the Boks were over for a second try when Wasi Vyambwera cut the Australian defence wide open to give his team a 12-0 lead.

At this point, the Boks were rampant against an Australian side who were struggling to match the speed and physicality of the home team.

Matters got worse for Australia after 25 minutes when referee De Achaval awarded a penalty try after a maul was collapsed.

That indiscretion resulted in Australia having Isaac Fonua sent to the sin bin as SA took a firm grip on the contest with a 21-0 lead after 25 minutes.

Eight minutes before halftime, inventive Australian flyhalf Finn Mackay darted his way through the Bok defence to score his team’s first points.

Australia’s discipline was letting them down, and they had a third player yellow-carded and a second penalty try awarded against them to leave SA with a commanding 28-7 lead.

Despite only having 13 players on the field, Australia hit back with a try by Riley Whitfeld, which cut the Boks’ lead to 28-12 at halftime.

Australia came charging out of the starting blocks in the second half, but they were unable to breach the Boks’ water-tight defence.

It was Ethan “The Tank” Adams who stretched SA’s lead to 35-12 with a bulldozing run which splintered the Aussie defence after 51 minutes.

Further tries from Hendre Schoeman, Luke Cannon and Yaqeen Ahmed sealed the deal for the Baby Boks.

Scorers:

South Africa 56: Tries: Jack Benade, Wasi Vyambwera, Penalty Tries (x2, each worth seven points), Ethan Adams, Hendre Schoeman, Luke Cannon and Yaqeen Ahmed. Conversions: Yaqeen Ahmed (4), Vusi Moyo (2).

Australia 17: Tries: Finn Mackay, Riley Whitfeld, Taione Taka. Conversion: Mackay.

In the opening match, it was Argentina who enjoyed early territorial advantage.

The pressure eventually paid off for Los Pumitas when flyhalf Federico Serpa went over for a try in the corner after slick play by scrumhalf Juan Preumayr in the 15th minute.

Argentina continued to keep New Zealand on the back foot, and their dominance was rewarded when Serpa slotted a penalty to push their lead out to 8-0 after 24 minutes.

New Zealand clawed their way back into the contest when skipper Haki Wiseman crashed over for a try after 32 minutes.

Shortly afterwards, the Baby Blacks were down to 13 men after referee Ella Goldsmith carded Jake Frost and Ethan Webber.

Undeterred by their numerical disadvantage, JD van der Westhuizen crossed the whitewash for New Zealand’s second try to leave Argentina with a 15-12 halftime advantage.

Argentina extended their lead to 20-12 when wing Luciano Avaca scored an intercept try in the 55th minute.

Scorers:

Argentina 25: Tries: Federico Serpa, Penalty Try (worth seven points), Luciano Avaca, Ramon Fernandez. Penalty: Serpa.

New Zealand 17: Tries: Haki Wiseman, JD van der Westhuizen, Finn McLeod. Conversion: Cohen Norrie.

The Herald