Kevin Foote praised his side's composure and attacking intent after the Junior Springboks overcame a slow start to beat Wales 52-33 in their final Pool A match at the Junior World Championship in Tbilisi, setting up a semi-final against England on Monday.
Wales made a fast start and led 14-0 after 11 minutes, but the Junior Boks recovered to lead 26-14 at half-time before pulling clear in the second half. The final margin of 19 points earned South Africa a fourth bonus point from four — completing a clean sweep of Pool A on 15 points.
"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."
Foote singled out the pack's contribution despite some scrum penalties conceded. "They worked hard throughout the game, gave us good front-foot ball and helped us get the result over the line."
He was clear-eyed about what still needs addressing before 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."
Wales finished second in Pool A on 10 points. The other semi-final at the Avchala Stadium on 13 July pits New Zealand against France at 16h00, with South Africa and England kicking off at 18h30 SA time.