The Junior Springboks were defeated by Australia, knocking them out of contention for the U20 Rugby Championship title, as they remain the only team without a win in the tournament.
In their second match of the U20 Rugby Championship at Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland on Tuesday, the Junior Springboks suffered a demoralizing 24-19 loss to Australia.
This defeat follows a draw against New Zealand in their opening match, leaving South Africa as the tournament’s sole winless team.
Earlier in the day, New Zealand secured a victory over Argentina, who had previously defeated host Australia in the first round.
The Junior Springboks are set to conclude their campaign against Argentina U20 on Sunday, May 12.
Match Summary:
A combination of indiscipline, poor handling, ineffective game management, and lack of set-piece dominance characterized the Junior Springboks’ performance. The team received a red card in the first half and a yellow card in the final 10 minutes as they attempted a comeback.
Capitalizing on a red card issued to loosehead prop Mbasa Maqubela for a dangerous clean-out in the 20th minute, Australia scored the game’s first try, securing a 10-7 lead at halftime after a fiercely contested first half.
The setbacks continued for South Africa, who lost fullback Michail Damon early in the second half due to a concussion from a tackle.
Despite adversity, the Junior Springboks rallied with tries by speedster Litelihle Bester. However, poor defense and substandard discipline allowed the Australians to maintain their lead, scoring two more tries, including a pivotal penalty try.
With about five minutes remaining, the match was still up for grabs as the Junior Springboks had a chance to snatch victory. Yet, their final attempt to rally from deep ended in despair as an unforced knock-on mid-field dashed all hopes of a comeback.
