Wales produced a strong fight, and were in the game early in the second half, but they were eventually mauled into submission by the SA team.
Junior Springbok inside centre Ethan Adams scored a stunning try during his team’s U20 Junior World Championship pool match against Wales in Tbilisi. Picture: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
The Junior Springboks kept their U20 Junior World Championship title defence alive by qualifying for the semifinals after beating Wales 52-33 in their final pool match at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi on Tuesday evening.
Earlier wins for both the Junior Boks and Wales over Uruguay and hosts Georgia meant this was a straight shootout for a place in the championship knockouts.
In the match, Wales produced a strong fight and were in the game early in the second half, but they were eventually mauled into submission by the powerful Junior Boks as they clinched a comfortable win.
Breathtaking start
The game got off to a breathtaking start, as Wales came flying out the blocks, before the Junior Boks powered back.
In the fourth minute Wales opened the scoring after setting up a lineout on the 5m and setting a maul from a short throw, with flank Caio James reaching over and scoring just as it was being driven out.
Six minutes later from another lineout on the 5m, Wales pulled a move off the top and inside centre Steffan Emmanuel received a short pass and burst through to score, with flyhalf Carwyn Leggatt-Jones landing his second conversion for a 14-0 lead.
But the Junior Boks hit straight back in the 11th minute, as a monster scrum in the Wales 22m allowed scrumhalf Hendre Schoeman to pick up at the back and snipe over for the converted score.
They then levelled the scores with a stunning try for Ethan Adams in the 16th minute, as the inside centre chipped over the defence, flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed caught the ball and gave it back to Adams to run in and score, with Ahmed’s conversion making it 14-all.
The Junior Boks then hit the front in the 24th minute, after a number of penalties and mauls saw captain Siphosethu Mnebelele come off the back of one and smash over.
Wales’ ill-discipline finally cost them when prop Jac Pritchard was yellow carded in the 29th minute after repeated infringements, and the Junior Boks managed to take advantage with a 37th minute maul try to Heinrich Theron, with Ahmed’s extras putting them 26-14 up at the break.
Second half
An action pack start to the second half saw the Junior Boks extend their lead in the 42nd minute as flank Risima Khosa crashed over in the corner, but wing Cheswill Jooste was then yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on three minutes later.
That allowed Wales to capitalise on the extra man by putting the Junior Boks under pressure and eventually outside centre Osian Darwin-Lewis cut through for the converted score, making it 33-21 after 49 minutes.
The teams continued trading tries as first replacement hooker Liam van Wyk dotted down off a maul, before Wales wing Tom Bowen raced away to respond, making it 38-26 after 55 minutes.
The Junior Boks then pulled away with further maul tries to Van Wyk in the 62nd minute followed by Mnebelele five minutes later, as they powered over the 50-point mark.
A late yellow card to Mnebelele and a try to Wales fullback Lewis Edwards allowed them to clinch consolation points just before the fulltime hooter.
Scorers
Junior Springboks: Tries – Hendre Schoeman, Ethan Adams, Siphosethu Mnebelele (2), Heinrich Theron, Risima Khosa, Liam van Wyk (2); Conversions – Yaqeen Ahmed (6)
Wales U20: Tries – Caio James, Steffan Emmanuel, Osian Darwin-Lewis, Tom Bowen, Lewis Edwards; Conversions – Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (3), Lloyd Lucas
