The Junior Springboks recovered from a shaky start to beat Wales 52-33 in their final Pool A match at the Junior World Championship in Tbilisi on Tuesday, finishing top of the group with a perfect three-from-three record and 15 points — all secured with bonus points.
Wales drew first blood and led 14-0 after 11 minutes, but South Africa worked their way back into the contest to lead 26-14 at half-time before pulling clear in the second half.
Coach Kevin Foote acknowledged the slow start but was satisfied with the response. "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. There was a lot of attacking intent and the players showed good composure to take control of the match."
Foote also credited the pack's contribution, despite conceding a handful of scrum penalties. "They worked hard throughout the game, gave us good front-foot ball and helped us get the result over the line."
He was candid about the areas still needing attention heading into the knockouts, particularly in defence and 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. In the other pools, New Zealand (15 points), England and France also advanced to the last four.
Both semifinals take place on Monday, 13 July at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi. New Zealand face France at 4pm SA time, with the Junior Boks kicking off against England at 6:30pm.