The Junior Springboks have secured a place in a second consecutive Junior World Championship final, overturning an eight-point halftime deficit to defeat England 53-37 in Tbilisi on Tuesday evening.
England led 20-12 at the break, but the Junior Boks produced a dominant second-half display to run out convincing winners and set up Saturday's decider against France at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, kick-off 18h30.
Head coach Kevin Foote said the halftime message was simple: look after the ball and maintain consistent pressure. "They went back after halftime, stuck to our processes and executed very well in the second half," he said.
The victory followed a familiar pattern, with the pack once again providing the platform. Foote acknowledged the physical toll of a fourth game in three weeks but pointed to the forwards' sustained effort as a defining feature of the tournament campaign. "The fact that they keep going and keep pushing is very impressive," he said.
The impact of the bench was again a decisive factor. Foote has emphasised collective squad ownership throughout the tournament, and Tuesday's semifinal reinforced that approach. "When the replacements come on, they really lift the team," he said.
France, who edged New Zealand 26-22 in the first semifinal, arrive in the final as Six Nations champions. Foote acknowledged the scale of the challenge: "Against New Zealand they worked hard, stayed in the fight right until the end and showed tremendous spirit. We know they're going to be a huge challenge."
The final moves from the Avchala Stadium, where the Junior Boks played their pool and semifinal matches, to the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium for Saturday's showpiece.