A 29-29 draw against New Zealand at Nelson Mandela Bay — after wins over Argentina and Australia — has Kevin Foote treating the gruelling finish as ideal preparation for the U20 World Championship defence in Georgia (June 27–July 18). Foote flagged the scrum and set piece as strong suits, while acknowledging the All Blacks' quick lineouts caught them off guard. With 11 players still eligible next year, the depth picture looks healthy. Riley Norton was more pointed in his critique, identifying ball retention and breakdown discipline as the areas needing sharpest attention before Georgia — noting that the Junior Boks' attacking danger is only fully realised when they build continuous phases and stop surrendering momentum at the ruck.
AnalysisJunior BoksTimesLIVE Rugby· updated
Junior Boks take World Cup confidence from NZ dogfight
Foote and Norton reflect on what a grinding draw against New Zealand reveals about where the Junior Boks are — and what still needs fixing — ahead of their World Cup title defence in Georgia.
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