Home World Cup dream over as Junior Boks outclassed by Ireland

James Nicholson of Ireland U20 celebrates scoring a try (Ashley Vlotman/Gallo)

• The Junior Springboks have been knocked out of the U-20 World Championship. 
• The South Africans were comfortably beaten by Ireland in Athlone on Sunday evening. 
• Ireland overcame a slow start, but were ultimately superior in all departments. 

A game but ultimately outclassed South Africa Under-20 side finally saw an end to their spluttering run through the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, losing 31-12 to Ireland in Athlone on Sunday in a defeat that eliminated the hosts from the semi-final stages.

The game was a confirmation of the gulf in class between Six Nations champions Ireland and a Junior Boks side which has struggled with its basics throughout the tournament and was lucky to make it to the last four at Georgia’s expense.

Ireland overcame a slow start and were aided and abetted by a South African team which failed to strike while it had the majority of the momentum in the first half, but once they warmed to their task they delivered a clinic in execution, set-piece play and possession-based rugby.

After the kick-off dust had settled, the hosts emerged as the team in the ascendancy, bossing the territory stats and creating a slew of half-chances they unfortunately failed to convert.

All four of their forays into the opposition red zone were undermined by captain Paul de Villiers and lock Coetzee le Roux losing the ball in contact, a grubber by scrumhalf Imad Khan beating every Junior Bok but the Irish defence into the in-goal area, and replacement flanker Jannes Potgieter knocking on at the base of the ruck.

Blindside flanker Ghudian van Reenen, the player Potgieter replace for head injury assessment purposes, also failed to pass to winger Jurenzo Julius after drawing his man in defence. Julius would show his teammates why passing to him isn’t such a gamble by returning a speculative kick ahead with interest, ghosting past three players before Khan’s ill-fated grubber.

During their time in the ascendancy, number eight Corne Beets led the hosts’ attack by being a frequent lineout option, a willing carrier and the occasional pest over the ball at the breakdown.

That said, a significant reason for why the Junior Boks couldn’t quite get over the line was the resistance they were met with from the visitors. What they lacked in possession they more than made up for in patient defence and a judicious approach to contesting or counter-rucking the rucks.

Their powerful scrum also proved a get out of jail free card via long-arm penalties.

Potgieter’s knock inside the Irish 22m line was his first touch, and his prospects didn’t improve after he was sin-binned for a late hit on winger Andre Osborne, an infringement that opened the door a crack for Ireland to score the opening try and points of the game in the 33^rd minute.

Having shot a warning across the South Africans’ bows by having a try Diarmuid Mangan try disallowed for dotting millimetres short of the line, the visitors converted at the second time of asking via a try by winger James Nicholson from a kick-pass by flyhalf Sam Prendergast.

In keeping with the general trend of the game, Prendergast’s counterpart Jean Smith missed two back-to-back penalties that would have narrowed the lead to one point. But a break by replacement Regan Izaks resulted in the Junior Boks finally opening their account in the 46^th minute.

But a tiring home defence –against the thunderous visiting forwards and Ireland’s relentless ball-in-hand approach – conceded almost immediately, with big number eight Brian Gleeson beating four men to the line just four minutes later, before Prendergast and Nicholson combined for carbon copy the kick-pass try from the first half.

The hosts – courtesy of their consolation effort through Coetzee at the death – were always going to be game, but Ireland had broken the back of their resistance with a full quarter of the match to go, with replacement Sam Berman ending the game as a contest with his 66^th minute try.

Scorers:

SA 12

Tries: Imad Khan, Coetzee le Roux

Conversion: Jean Smith

Ireland 31

Tries: James Nicholson (2), Brian Gleeson, Sam Berman

Conversions: Sam Prendergast (4)

Penalty: Prendergast