The Junior Springboks secured their JWC semi-final berth by topping Pool A with a 52-33 win over Wales in Tbilisi on Tuesday, but the performance carried enough defensive lapses and unforced errors to give the coaching staff pause ahead of Monday's last-four clash.
The Welsh made the worst possible start for the defending champions, crossing for two converted tries inside the opening ten minutes to lead 14-0. SA U20s gradually found their footing and reeled off four unanswered tries before the break — Hendre Schoeman finishing off a dominant scrum in the 12th minute, Ethan Adams capitalising after a Yaqeen Ahmed chip-and-collect to level at 14-14, Siphosethu Mnebelele driven over in the 26th minute to give South Africa the lead, and Heinrich Theron crashing over from a driving maul after Wales tighthead Jac Pritchard was sin-binned. Ahmed converted all four to make it 26-14 at the interval.
Risima Khosa extended the lead with a sharp finish on the right wing early in the second half, but yellow cards and defensive softness allowed Wales back into the contest. A Cheswill Jooste yellow card for a deliberate knock-down opened the door, and though a Will Evans try was chalked off by the TMO, Osian Lewis scored moments later with the defence stretched. Tom Bowen added a fourth Welsh try — the conversion missed — to make it 38-26 with the Junior Boks looking vulnerable.
Liam van Wyk steadied the ship with two mauled-over tries, and Mnebelele's second — again from a lineout drive in the 67th minute — pushed the lead to 52-26 and effectively ended the contest. A late Mnebelele yellow card for ruck contact, the enforced departure of Van Wyk and Alzeadon Felix which triggered uncontested scrums, and Lewis Edwards' consolation try completed the scoring at 52-33.
Ahmed finished with six conversions from eight tries, with South Africa's eight-try haul illustrating their attacking potency even as the defensive brittleness and red-zone errors remained recurring themes.
Scorers — Junior Springboks 52 (26): Tries: Schoeman, Adams, Mnebelele (2), Theron, Khosa, Van Wyk (2). Cons: Ahmed (6). Wales U20 33 (14): Tries: Caio James, Steffan Emanuel, Osian Lewis, Tom Bowen, Lewis Edwards. Cons: Carwyn Jones (4).