Kevin Foote acknowledged there is still work to do after the Junior Springboks recovered from a shaky start to defeat Wales 52-33 and finish Pool A with a perfect record at the Junior World Championship in Tbilisi.
Wales made a blistering start and led 14-0 after 11 minutes before South Africa settled, built momentum and eventually pulled away to claim a bonus-point win — their third from three pool matches. The halftime score was 26-14.
"We were a little bit passive in the beginning," Foote said. "But once we got into the game and built some momentum, I thought we created some really good try-scoring opportunities. There was a lot of attacking intent, and the players showed good composure to take control of the match."
The pack drew specific praise despite a mixed set-piece afternoon. "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."
Foote was candid about what needs to sharpen ahead of the knockout rounds. "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."
South Africa topped Pool A on 15 points, with Wales finishing second on 10. The semifinal against England is scheduled for Monday, 13 July at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi, kicking off at 18:30 SAST. The earlier semifinal sees New Zealand face France at 16:00 SAST.