Kevin Foote says there are still areas requiring improvement ahead of the business end of the tournament.
Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote. Picture: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote praised his side’s resilience and attacking intent after they defeated Wales in their final pool match at the U20 World Championship in Georgia, securing a place in the semifinals against England.
On Tuesday afternoon in Tbilisi, the SA team were made to work hard by a spirited Welsh side, who made a fast start and led 14-0 after 11 minutes.
The Junior Boks were forced to fight their way back into the contest, but once they settled and found their rhythm, they showed their quality on attack to pull away and secure an important victory, by 52-33 after leading 26-14 at the break.
While Foote admitted his side were not at their best in the opening exchanges, he was encouraged by how they responded, especially with the Junior Bok pack playing a key role in laying the platform for victory, despite a few setbacks around the set piece.
“We were a little bit passive in the beginning. But once we got into the game and built some momentum, I thought we created some really good try-scoring opportunities,” said Foote.
“There was a lot of attacking intent and the players showed good composure to take control of the match. There were a couple of scrum penalties against us, but overall, I thought the pack did really well.
“They worked hard throughout the game, gave us good front-foot ball and helped us get the result over the line.”
Improvements to be made
While pleased with the victory, Foote said there were still areas requiring improvement ahead of the business end of the tournament.
“From a defensive perspective and in terms of ball retention, there are definitely things we need to work on. We’ll review the game, look closely at some of the turnovers and make sure we’re sharper going into the semis,” said Foote.
The win confirmed South Africa’s progression to the semi-finals as they finished top of their group after winning all three of their Pool A games by bonus-point margins.
Foote welcomed the semi-final challenge that lies ahead: “We’ve achieved our first objective by coming through the pool stages, and now we look ahead to the semi-final.
“Some of these players have experienced knockout rugby at this tournament before, so we’ll draw on that experience and look forward to the challenge ahead.”
South Africa finished first in Pool A on 15 points while Wales ended second on 10 points. New Zealand clinched first spot in Pool B, also on 15 points, while England and France also qualified for the semi-finals by topping their pools.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Monday, 13 July, both at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi. New Zealand take on France at 4pm, and the Junior Boks’ clash against England kicks off at 6.30pm (SA time).
