Two halves, two completely different Junior Springbok sides. One clinical, the other clinging on. Yet when the final whistle sounded at Tbilisi’s Avchala Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the scoreboard told only half the story of a fascinating 35-0 victory over Georgia.
The South Africans blitzed their hosts in the opening 40 minutes with a five-try masterclass before wholesale changes turned the second half into a defensive war of attrition that tested every ounce of character in Kevin Foote’s squad.
This wasn’t just about the result, it was about preparation. The Junior Boks got invaluable game time at the very venue where they’ll battle for Junior World Championship glory in June and July, and that experience could prove priceless when the stakes are raised.
“We started really well, it was a great hit out for us, especially being able to use the stadium and facilities where we’ll play our Junior World Championship matches later this year,” Foote explained, clearly pleased with the reconnaissance mission.
The opening stanza was vintage Junior Bok rugby. Scrumhalf Hendre Schoeman opened the floodgates before prop Danie Kruger, hooker Liam van Wyk, and loose forwards Kebotile Maake and Gert Kemp all crashed over. Fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed was flawless with the boot, converting all five tries to establish a commanding 35-0 cushion.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Early indiscipline threatened to derail South Africa’s momentum before they’d even built it.
“We had a lot of penalties going against us in the first five minutes, but the guys showed massive character,” said Foote, highlighting the mental fortitude required to weather that early storm.
Their ability to absorb pressure, maintain defensive integrity, and ruthlessly convert key moments allowed them to seize complete control before the interval.
Then came the reset. Foote emptied the bench at halftime, sending out an entirely fresh XV to give the whole squad crucial minutes. The move had the desired effect in terms of game time but inevitably disrupted rhythm and cohesion.
Georgia smelled blood. The second half became a relentless Georgian assault on the South African tryline, with the Junior Boks struggling to regain territorial control. Handling errors mounted, the penalty count spiralled, and suddenly this Test became about something very different, defensive grit.
“We changed the whole team at halftime just to give everyone a run, but after that, we couldn’t really control the game. The penalty count was just too much, and we had too many handling errors,” Foote admitted.
Yet for all Georgia’s pressure and South Africa’s errors, the tryline remained untouched. Wave after wave broke on the Junior Bok defensive wall, and when the final whistle blew, the clean sheet remained intact.
“The guys were resilient, and even though we didn’t score, we kept them out despite the many penalties and turnovers. There was a lot of courage in our defence,” beamed Foote.
Execution, particularly handling and decision-making under pressure, will dominate training sessions ahead of Friday’s rematch in Tbilisi. But for now, the Junior Boks can reflect on a valuable exercise that tested both their attacking prowess and defensive resolve.
“We learnt some good lessons from both halves, and we’ll build on them going into next week’s Test,” said Foote.
Job done. Lessons learned. Next challenge awaits.
