The Junior Springboks secured their place in the Junior World Championship final with a 53-37 semi-final victory over England in Tbilisi, overcoming an eight-point half-time deficit to set up a title decider against France on Saturday.
England led 20-12 at the interval after a strong opening 40 minutes, but the match turned decisively in the 32nd minute when forward Seb Kelly was shown a permanent red card for a headbutt on Junior Bok full-back Luan Giliomee. At the time of the dismissal, England held a 17-7 advantage. Within minutes, fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed sent a cross-field kick to the left corner where wing Khuthadzo Rasivhaga touched down unopposed, narrowing the gap before the break.
Second-half surge seals progression
The Junior Boks seized control after the restart, with Rasivhaga completing his hat-trick and flanker Kebotile Maake crossing twice. Full-back Giliomee turned provider with deft offloads, including one that sent Maake thundering over in the left corner. Luke Cannon also scored for South Africa, ensuring England efforts from Jonny Weimann, Tate Williams and Shields were mere consolation. Giliomee was later red-carded for a contact in the air, but by then the outcome was beyond doubt.
Junior Bok assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa praised the composure shown by his side under scoreboard pressure. "We knew the first half was going to be very, very tough," said Mthethwa. "They had a plan and they tried to stop us, and they did that very well. Credit to the boys – they handled that well."
The message at half-time was clear and measured, with the coaching staff encouraging the players to trust their preparation rather than chase the game. "At half-time we identified a few opportunities we needed to take," Mthethwa explained. "In the second half we were able to take control and those opportunities, which was great."
Rasivhaga said the team had anticipated England's early intensity and knew patience would be required. "We spoke about it during the week and we knew England were going to come hard in that first 40 minutes," said Rasivhaga. "We had to contain them and stay in the fight, kept backing ourselves and stayed patient."
Head coach Kevin Foote praised the maturity and depth shown by his squad after the fightback win. The Junior Boks will now face France in Saturday's final, seeking to defend the title they won last year. The ability to absorb early pressure and respond with precision in the second half will give Foote's side confidence heading into the decider, particularly if they can maintain the accuracy and composure that proved decisive against England.