Head coach Bafana Nhleko praised the character of the Junior Springboks after finishing their 2024 U20 World Championship campaign on a high note in Cape Town on Friday.
With their pack of forwards setting the tone, the Junior Boks regained some pride with a 47-31 victory over Wales at Cape Town Stadium in their seventh-place playoff.
The South Africans scored seven tries – six of them by the forwards – with No 8 Sibabalwe Mahashe and captain Zachary Porthen scoring a brace of touchdowns each.
There were still a few soft moments, but the Junior Boks made a step-up after disappointing results against Argentina and England.
The hosts’ direct approach laid the platform as they led 19-5 at the interval, and although they let in a couple of tries after the break, the youngsters in green and gold continued to apply pressure to finish the tournament with a flourish.
Speaking post-match, Nhleko lauded the dedication of his charges to bounce back after two difficult weeks, which saw them losing three times in as many games.
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“We are disappointed with our campaign, but I must give credit to the boys, I thought they showed great character after a difficult time,” he said.
“They did well today, created good opportunities within the plan and our execution was also a lot better despite some errors. The players showed a lot of dedication and worked hard during the past few months together.
“I am happy we could finish with a good game, although not what we wanted but this is a moment in their careers – if not their entire lives – they have a lot to look forward to and I want to wish them well for their future careers.”
“It felt good to give a performance like that and to finish the tournament on a high note,” Porthen added. “I think the win is a reward for the hard work the group continued to put into our preparations.
“We wanted to show that we were better than our recent results. The results didn’t go our way the past few weeks, but I am nevertheless proud of this group.”
Photo: @SAJuniorRugby/Twitter
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
