Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote and captain Riley Norton have praised their side's resilience after a 29-29 draw with New Zealand sealed South Africa's U20 Rugby Championship title at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday.
The Junior Boks finished the tournament unbeaten on 13 points, with New Zealand also picking up three points from the final match — two for the draw and a bonus point apiece for scoring four tries each. Australia and Argentina ended on seven points each.
South Africa led 22-15 at halftime despite having been three tries to one down earlier in the match, with the comeback drawing 18,100 spectators into a contest that swung repeatedly in its closing stages.
Foote pointed to meaningful growth in the kicking game as a standout development from last year's tournament. "Twelve months ago, we came here and didn't kick particularly well. This time our kicking was mature, contestable, and it allowed us to play in the right areas of the field," he said. Breakdown efficiency and ball security, however, he flagged as areas requiring improvement, noting that turnovers proved costly against a New Zealand side quick to punish errors.
Norton, solid throughout at No.5 lock, acknowledged the pressure of the final ten minutes. "Momentum kept swinging, and that's where you learn the most. We made a few simple errors and lost shape at the breakdown, and that gave them chances."
Both coach and captain described the draw as bittersweet but accepted given the tournament result. "We've won the tournament, we've tested our depth, and we've learned a lot about ourselves," Foote said, with Norton underlining the value of navigating high-pressure situations ahead of a Junior World Cup campaign.
Foote also credited the Eastern Cape public, noting that more than 40,000 supporters attended across the three rounds in Gqeberha.