WORLD RUGBY U’20 South Africa CHAMPIONSHIP 2016
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Theron satisfied as Junior Boks defeat Japan in World Champs opener
Junior Springbok coach Dawie Theron praised his team’s fighting spirit as they came back from trailing at half-time to comprehensively beat Japan by 59-19 in their opening match of the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Manchester, England, on Tuesday. It was a morale-boosting victory for the South African Under-20s, who found themselves 19-7 down after 31 minutes in the first half, but never backed off to finally outscore Japan by eight tries to three. The score at the break was 19-14. “The first half was a bit of a shock for the guys and I think they didn’t really expect that, but I told this that this is a World Cup, you have to convert your opportunities into points,” said Theron. “We probably were a little shell-shocked when they scored those three tries, but I am proud of the way the players fought back. Japan played well and they targeted the rucks, which they did not do last year. “It was a tough lesson for us, but we adapted quickly. I think we regrouped very well as a team after a hard team talk at halftime and we stuck to our structures, which worked in the end.” Powerful flank and Man of the Match Zain Davids (flank) and SA U20 captain Jeremy Ward (centre) both scored a brace of tries each, while fullback Curwin Bosch was flawless with the boot as he slotted all eight conversions and a long-range penalty goal for a personal tally of 19 points. Such was the quality of the team’s second half performance, they denied Japan from adding to their score. A series of handling errors and turnovers in the opening exchanges denied the Junior Springboks from taking advantage of their territorial advantage. However, they made a breakthrough in the ninth minute when Davids forced his way through a gap in the midfield and dashed to the tryline for the first points of the match. Bosch converted to hand the team a 7-0 lead. Japan hit back with a try by wing Ataata Moeakiola who raced to the tryline after breaking
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through the defence, which they converted to level the scores. A few minutes later, following a great cross kick following a series of pick-and-goes, saw Moeakiola score his second try to see the Japanese take a 14-7 lead. The Junior Boks were dealt a big blow soon after as wing S’busiso Nkosi received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. Japan took full advantage of this, with Moeakiola earning his hat-trick in the 30th minute after dancing his way through the defence out wide to see his team take a 19-7 lead. South Africa replied by applying pressure on attack, and there were soon equal numbers as Japanese flank Faulua Makisi received a yellow card. Junior Springbok centre JT Jackson had the last say in the half as he snapped up a chip kick from flyhalf Manie Libbok in the 36th minute to touch down for the team’s second try, which reduced the deficit to 1914 shortly before the break.The South Africans came out firing in the second half and applied pressure on Japan immediately, which allowed Ward to score their third try compliments of a fantastic break by Davids and a well-timed pass by Libbok. Bosch converted to hand the team a 21-19 lead.Davids’ hard work paid off again in the 44th minute after a dummy pass and straightened, which saw him cruise to the tryline for his second try of the match. Ward added his second try four minutes later after Libbok intercepted and ran up-field before passing out wide to take advantage of the space. Bosch converted for a 3519 lead and then added along-range penalty from 51m out in the 55th minute to stretch the team’s lead. Ward and his team continued to inflict damage as the match progressed, with Libbok sneaking through a hole in the defence in the 63rd minute to touch down for the team’s sixth try, while speedster Mosolwa Mafuma added another in the 70th minute to take their score to 52 points. Japan showed their fighting spirit as the clock continued to wind down, but their efforts to score were negated by the determined Junior Springbok defence. In stark contrast to their Japanese counterparts, the South African’s continued to use their try-scoring chances as they completed the match with a try by replacement prop Carlü Sadie, which Bosch converted to secure a morale-boosting 59-19 victory. Scorers: Junior Springboks 59 (14) – Tries: Zain Davids (2), JT Jackson, Jeremy Ward (2), Manie Libbok, Mosolwa Mafuma, Carlü Sadie. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (8). Penalty goal: Bosch. Japan 19 (19) – Tries: Ataata Moeakiola (3). Conversions: Taisetsu Kanai (2). ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Theron attributes defeat against Argentina to errors JUN 11
Junior Springbok coach Dawie Theron on Saturday attributed
his team’s 19-13 defeat against Argentina in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship at the wet AJ Bell Stadium in Manchester, England, to errors and poor discipline.The Junior Boks trailed 13-6 at the break, and despite trying hard to force their way back into the match, mistakes at crucial times and ill-discipline resulted in the team suffering a disappointing 1913 defeat.“It was a disappointing performance from the team,” said Theron. “We created opportunities, but we were unable to capitalise on them due to the errors we made throughout the clash, and our discipline didn’t help either.“At this level you cannot receive two yellow cards and concede several kickable penalties and expect to win the match. We have a lot to work on before our next game against France.” The first half proved to be a war of attrition as both teams tried to get onto the front foot by running directly on attack and supporting this with a solid defensive effort in which they put their bodies on the line. Such was the tough nature of the half, the only points scored up until the 39th minute were from penalty goals, with Junior Springbok flyhalf Curwin Bosch and his Argentinean counterpart Domingo Miotti each slotting over two kicks.The South Africans created a few opportunities on attack during the half, but a series of penalties conceded and mistakes at crucial times did not assist their cause.The Junior Boks were also handed a big blow in the 34th minute when scrumhalf James Hall received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle.Argentina took full advantage of this with right wing Tomas Malanos scoring the first try of the match in the dying seconds of the half as he found a gap in the middle of the field and dashed to the tryline. Miotti’s conversion was successful, which pushed Argentina 13-6 ahead at the break.Argentina continued to apply pressure on the Junior Boks in the second half and added two penalties to stretch their lead to 19-6.A try by prop Franco van den Berg in the 64th minute from an effective rolling maul, which Bosch
converted, however, reduced the deficit to 19-13.But the Junior Springboks were again reduced to 14 men soon after as flanker Ernst van Rhyn received a yellow card, which piled more pressure on the side as the clock continued to wind down.The team tried hard to fight back in the last 10 minutes and had opportunities to score, but mistakes once again denied them from adding to their score.These costly errors forced them to settle for a 19-13 defeat. Scorers:Junior Springboks 13 (6) – Try: Franco van den Berg. Conversion: Curwin Bosch. Penalties: Curwin Bosch (2).Argentina 19 (13) – Try: Tomas Malanos. Conversion: Domingo Miotti. Penalties: Domingo Miotti (3), Patricio Baronio. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Junior Boks book World Champs semi-final berth JUN 15
Junior Springbok coach Dawie Theron on Wednesday praised his team’s fighting spirit to book their place in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship semi-final against hosts, England, with a 40-31 victory against a determined French outfit at the Academy Stadium in Manchester. The South Africans fought their way back from a 24-18 half-time deficit to finish the match with a total of five tries to four by France, which earned them a bonus-point win and the last semi-final place up for grabs. The team entered the match needing a victory with 14 points to secure a semi-final place, while they had to ensure that Australia did not register a big victory against England, as their match played out at the same time. “I am proud of the fighting spirit the players showed,” said Theron. “There were times when we allowed France to apply immense pressure on us, but the team showed fantastic character to bounce back after half time and to earn the bonus point. “That said we have a lot of work to do before we meet England. We need a vast improvement in the set pieces and we have to
tighten up our defence. But the important thing is that we have qualified for the semi-finals.” The first half proved to be a tense contest as France used their powerful forwards to force their way over the advantage line, and combined this with smart tactical kicking. This earned them three first-half tries to two by the Junior Boks for a 24-18 lead. France struck first in the fourth minute with a converted try to take a 7-0 lead. But Junior Springbok fullback Curwin Bosch kicked two penalties to reduce the gap to 7-6. The South African’s appeared to find their rhythm on attack and added a try a few minutes later compliments of scrumhalf Embrose Papier from a pick-and-go, which Bosch converted for 13-7 lead. However, the Junior Boks’ struggle to make effective one-onone tackles and to counter the French forwards allowed France to score two more tries for a 24-13 lead. The Junior Boks fought back strongly in the dying minutes of the half, and the rewards followed with flanker Zain Davids scoring a try after applying pressure on attack close to the tryline. This reduced the deficit on the scoreboard to 24-18. The Junior Boks were awarded two penalties before half time, and while they tried hard to attack, the solid French defence shut them out. The South Africans came out firing in the second half with wing Edwill van der Merwe scoring the team’s third try four minutes in from a counter-attack, which pushed the team into a 25-24 lead. French flyhalf Romauld Seguy received a yellow card soon after for tramping on Jeremy Ward in a ruck. The Junior Boks tried hard to apply pressure on France as the game progressed, and they reaped the benefits with two tries in four minutes by Manie Libbok and man-of-the-match, Bosch, to lead 40-24 with 12 minutes left on the clock. This also earned them the bonus point for four tries. France hit back hard in the dying minutes and earned a try in the last minute for their efforts, but they were forced to settle for a 4031 defeat. Scorers: Junior Springboks 40 (18) – Tries: Embrose Papier, Zain Davids, Edwill van der Merwe, Manie Libbok. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (3). Penalties: Curwin Bosch (3). France 31 (24) – Tries: Gabriel Ngandebe, Mathieu Voisin, Romain Buros, Michael Simutoga. Conversions: Anthony Belleau (4). Penalty: Anthony Belleau.
Adams sets sights on World Champs bronze medal JUN 21 Junior Springbok assistant coach Nazeem Adams set his sights on a strong finish to the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, following the team’s 39-17 defeat against England in the semi-final on Monday night. The Junior Springboks will face Argentina in the third place playoff at the AJ Bell Stadium at 14h30 (15h30 SA Time) on Saturday, and Adams singled out a better effort on defence and more effective finishing as the key areas to secure the bronze medal.Argentina defeated the Junior Springboks 19-13 in their second pool match in the tournament, and Adams said they were determined to make amends for that result on Saturday. “We are still hurting from the defeat against England,” said Adams.“We had our video session this morning and we realise that we let ourselves down on attack and defence. But that said, it was good to see the players fight back in the second half. That character is exactly what we need in the bronze playoff against Argentina.“We know it will be a challenging encounter against them, as we saw in our pool match, but we are determined to make up for our defeat against them. Our focus now is on a strong finish to the tournament, and we are determined to achieve that.” Unfortunately for the Junior Boks wing S’busiso Nkosi and scrumhalf Embrose Papier were forced to return home on Tuesday due to the thigh and ankle injuries respectively, which ruled them out of the clash against England. A decision on the possible call-up of replacements will be made in due course. “It is a big blow to lose S’bu and Embrose, as they are both talented players,” said Adams. “But injuries are part of the game. Given the quick turnaround between matches and the physical nature of the World Championship, there is always a risk of injury.” The Junior Boks will have Tuesday afternoon off to rest and recover following a morning video session, and will return to training on Wednesday.
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Theron describes Argentina defeat as massive disappointment
JUN 25 Junior Springbok coach Dawie Theron on Saturday described his team’s 49-19 defeat against Argentina in the bronze playoff at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Manchester, England, as one of the most disappointing moments in his career. The Junior Boks were outscored six tries to three by a physical and well-balanced Argentina side at the AJ Bell stadium despite an enterprising opening quarter, which saw them build up an encouraging 19-7 lead. “This is one of the most disappointing moments of my career and certainly the biggest disappointment in my six years with the Junior Springboks,” Theron said after the match. “This young team has a lot of talent, but they need to complement that with the right decisions at the right time on the field. “We started off well against Argentina, but one try against the run of play resulted in us losing belief. We didn’t stick to our structures and we made bad decisions, while Argentina stuck to what worked for them. “Argentina dominated physically and England did the same in the semi-final, and we could not counter that. We certainly missed the international competition in our warm-up games coming into this tournament. “That said, this team contains amazing talent, and some of the players showed that if they get going, they could do well. Several players in this squad are younger than 20 years old and can represent the Junior Boks again next year, and I believe they would have learned a lot from this tournament.” The Junior Springboks showed intent from the outset as they put together phases on attack and applied pressure on Argentina with their solid set pieces and mauls. Their efforts paid off in the sixth minute with flyhalf Manie Libbok scoring a try initiated by a good counterattack by wing Edwill van der Merwe, which handed the Junior Springboks a 7-0 lead. Van der Merwe added the team’s second try minutes later as he dashed to the tryline after a dominant scrum allowed them to get on the front foot. Argentina hit back with a try in the 14th minute from a grubber kick to reduce their deficit to 12-7. But Junior Springbok hooker Jan-Henning Campher cancelled out this try as the team produced a solid rolling maul to stretch the team’s lead to 19-7.
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Argentina, however, forced their way back into the match with a try by Juan Cruz Mallia who gathered a loose pass by the Junior Boks for their second converted try, while their flyhalf Domingo Miotti added a penalty shortly before the break to leave the team 19-17 behind. The pressure on the Junior Boks during the half was compounded by the fact that lock Ruben de Villiers received a yellow card for tackling a player in the air in the 27th minute, forcing them to play with 14 men for 10 minutes. Argentina continued to stamp their authority in the second half and earned the rewards with four tries and two penalties to stretch their lead to 44-19 with 13 minutes to go. The Junior Boks, however, had their chances, as they worked their way close to Argentina’s tryline on several occasions throughout the match, but they were unable to convert these opportunities into points, which cost them dearly. Scorers: Junior Springboks 19 (19) – Tries: Manie Libbok, Edwill van der Merwe, Jan-Henning Campher. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (2). Argentina 49 (17) – Tries: Gaspar Baldunciel, Juan Cruz Mallia (3), Julian Dominguez, Mariano Romanini. Conversions: Domingo Miotti (5). Penalty Goals: Domingo Miotti (3).
Fifteen Varsity Cup players in Junior Bok team to face Japan
JUN 7 • South Africa Under-20 head coach, Dawie Theron, has picked a strong matchday squad for their World Rugby Under-20 Championship opener against Japan this afternoon. Of the 23 players, seven have represented different universities in the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International while two did duty for the Varsity Shield’s FNB UKZN. The future of South African rugby is also represented by six Young Guns players. FNB UP-Tuks has the most players in the Junior Bok team to face Japan with seven across all Varsity Cup competitions. In the starting lineup centre JT Jackson and lock Eli Snyman represented FNB UP-Tuks in the Varsity Cup while prop Jaco Holtzhausen donned FNB UP-Tuks Young Guns colours this season. On the bench, a further four players ran out for FNB UP-Tuks Young Guns this year and they are: hooker Franco
van der Berg, prop Jan-Henning Campher, loose forward Denzel Hill and utility back Franco Naude. FNB UP-Tuks Young Guns head coach, Jaco Pienaar, who orchestrated his team’s title-winning campaign in his first year in charge, is happy for his players that were selected for the opening match. “I’m glad for our guys. It is a great honour to play for your country and play on the international stage. We are very proud of them,” said Pienaar. The Junior Springboks face Japan Under-20 on Tuesday, 7 June at the Academy Stadium in Manchester, England. Kick-off is scheduled for 16:15 (SA time) and will be televised live on SuperSport 1. South Africa Under-20: 15. Curwin Bosch (UKZN), 14. S’busiso Nkosi (UKZN), 13. Jeremy Ward (c, NMMU), 12. JT Jackson (UP-Tuks), 11. Mosolwa Mafuma (UFS), 10. Manie Libbok, 9. James Hall, 8. Junior Pokomela (NMMU), 7. Ernst van Rhyn, 6. Zain Davids, 5. Eli Snyman (UP-Tuks), 4. Cobus Wiese, 3. Jaco Holtzhausen (UP-Tuks Young Guns), 2. Tango Balekile (NMMU), 1. Kwenzo Blose (UFS Young Guns). Replacements: 16. Franco van den Berg (UP-Tuks Young Guns), 17. Jan-Henning Campher (UP-Tuks Young Guns), 18. Carlü Sadie, 19. Ruben de Villiers, 20. Denzel Hill (UP-Tuks Young Guns), 21. Embrose Papier, 22. Franco Naude (UP-Tuks Young Guns), 23. Keanu Vers (NMMU).
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South Africa Under-20’s Curwin Bosch (UKZN), S’busiso Nkosi (UKZN), Jeremy Ward (c, NMMU), JT Jackson (UP-Tuks), Mosolwa Mafuma (UFS), Manie Libbok, James Hall, Junior Pokomela (NMMU), Ernst van Rhyn, Zain Davids, Eli Snyman (UP-Tuks), Cobus Wiese, Jaco Holtzhausen (UP-Tuks Young Guns), Tango Balekile (NMMU), Kwenzo Blose (UFS Young Guns). Franco van den Berg (UP-Tuks Young Guns), . Jan-Henning Campher (UP-Tuks Young Guns), Carlü Sadie, Ruben de Villiers, Denzel Hill (UP-Tuks Young Guns), Embrose Papier, Franco Naude (UP-Tuks Young Guns), Keanu Vers (NMMU)
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