Coach Kevin Foote says the Junior Springboks are “highly motivated” to bounce back from a sloppy U20 Rugby Championship performance against Australia when they take on New Zealand on Sunday.
South Africa conceded 29 unanswered points to surrender a 17-point lead at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday before scoring a late try to go down 29-24 to the spirited Australia U20s who controlled the field in the second half.
“We got pegged down in our own half after half time, and a few turnovers gave them opportunities and momentum,” said Foote. “I think Australia deserve a lot of credit for staying in the fight, they’re gutsy and did well at that. We turned over too much ball and the defensive pressure became big for us.
“The number one thing to improve on is probably to look after our ball and making sure we don’t give it up too easily, as well as our discipline to not concede soft penalties.”
Junior Bok captain Riley Norton also emphasised the number of penalties conceded and Australia’s territorial advantage.
“I thought we had a great first half and I thought our game drivers were doing very well,” said Norton. “In the second half we conceded some soft penalties at times and then we lost the territorial battle. These are valuable lessons for us before the World Rugby U20 Championship.
“We can go back and look at the positives and try to improve on the things we didn’t do well. It did not go our way today, but the boys are still positive, and we have one more game to play in the Championship, and we are excited for that.”
New Zealand scored 11 tries to three in their 75-21 victory over Argentina earlier on Tuesday, and Foote realises a big step up will be required from the Junior Boks when take on their kiwi counterparts on Sunday.
“This will be a huge fixture for us – they play with a great tempo and have their tails up, so they will be great opposition,” said Foote. “The team will be very highly motivated for the New Zealand match.”
After two rounds, New Zealand lead the standings with seven points, followed by Australia on six, South Africa on five, and Argentina on zero.
On Sunday, Australia and Argentina face off at 2pm, while the Junior Boks wrap up their tournament against New Zealand at 4.10pm.
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
