Junior Boks Clinch Georgia Series

The Junior Springboks defeated Georgia 27-12 in their second international at the Lelo Arena in Tbilisi on Friday afternoon to not only clinch the series 2-0, scoring five tries to their hosts’ two, but also put a smile on the face of SA U20 coach, Kevin Foote.

The SA U20s won both their games against Georgia, showing character to adapt to the freezing conditions and to compete against a very capable opponent. Foote was, understandably, very satisfied after Friday’s match.

“The tour was fantastic for many reasons,” said Foote.

“We came here to ensure we connected as a group, and it was great to see the team bonding so well. The time we spent together was invaluable, laying a strong foundation as we move into the rest of the season.

“We have an amazing group of players and staff, and I’m incredibly grateful to SA Rugby and Georgia for making this experience possible.”

Foote praised the players’ character to adapt to the conditions and to compete against a strong Georgian side.

“Our goal was to play games and test ourselves, and training against the Lelo Saracens and playing two matches against Georgia provided just that,” he said.

“They challenged us physically, and it was crucial for us to understand our game better. I thought our game management in the second half today was particularly impressive.

“We focused on our set piece, scrum, maul, and maul defence, and I want to thank all the coaches for their excellent work in these areas. Overall, there were many positives, but there’s still a lot to work on. I can’t wait to get together again in two weeks’ time again.”

The match was yet again played in ice cold winter conditions, with snow next to the field. The two teams tried to out fox each other with their kicking game in the first half. There were many errors on both sides, especially at the breakdown area, which made for a stop start affair in the opening stanza.

The Junior Boks scored first when Chijindu Okonta (left wing) was fed out wide to go over in the corner, and 10 minutes later livewire flanker Divan Fuller doubled the lead when he crashed over the whitewash following a period of sustained pressure by the South Africans.

Both conversion attempts were wide which gave the SA U20s a 10-0 lead, but Georgia hit back shortly thereafter when Shota Kheladze (hooker) burst over the line for their only score of the first half.

It was the Junior Boks who grew in confidence as the first half progressed as they managed to secure more possession and territory. Siphosethu Mnebelele (hooker) found himself in the wide channel and all he had to do was to run over the try line to dot down for their third try to stretch the score to 15-5.

The SA U20s had another opportunity to score but Gilermo Mentoe (fullback) was held up over the line by the hosts’ sturdy defence.

Georgia started the second half on a very positive note and opened the scoring with a converted try in the 43rd minute as Andro Dvali (loose forward) went over from a clever kick, closing the gap on the scoreboard to 15-12.

However, this sparked the SA U20s into action as they dominated proceedings to score 12 more points, via two tries and a conversion.

First scrumhalf Haashim Pead ran in under the posts in the 57th minute after a great break down the left, and six minutes later Fuller crashed over a Georgian defender for his second try of the match, to give the Junior Boks a 15-point lead.

The South Africans also had to play with a man short when prop Simphiwe Ngobese was yellow carded for an illegal tackle. However, they did enough to secure a well-deserved victory for a 2-0 series result. They return home on Sunday to continue their preparations in Stellenbosch.

Scorers:

• Georgia U20 12 (5) – Tries: Shota Kheladze, Andro Dvali. Conversion: Buba Nozadze.
• Junior Boks 27 (15) – Tries: Chijindu Okonta, Divan Fuller (2), Siphosethu Mnebelele, Haashim Pead. Conversion: Dominic Malgas.