Junior Boks secure double win over Georgia U20s

Yaqeen Ahmed slotted all 10 of his conversions over the two-match series. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images The Junior Springboks concluded their short tour of Georgia with a 35-5 victory over the hosts on a cold and wet Friday afternoon in Tbilisi, with SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote praising the players’ resilience in the tough conditions. The SA U20s, whowon the first game 35-0last Sunday, led by 21-0 at the break and scored five tries to one.

The tough conditions made handling very difficult, while the South Africans were also guilty of conceding too many penalties, with two players also spending time in the sin-bin. Yaqeen Ahmed contributed 15 points from a try and five conversions, which means that the Junior Bok flyhalf succeeded with all 10 of his conversions over the two matches. Reflecting on the performance, Foote said the players showed a lot of character: “The conditions were tough with all the rain.

Playing in Georgia is always difficult for different reasons, but I thought the guys showed a lot of maturity today.” TheJunior Bokswere forced to be patient, as Georgia’s physical pack made possession difficult to come by. However, the South Africans were clinical when given the opportunity. “We didn’t get a lot of possession, but when we did, we made use of it, especially in the first half,” Foote added.

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Lindsey Jansen opened the scoring for the SA U20s after strong runs by the midfield pair of Ethan Adams and Markus Muller had set up play nicely for the speedster to finish. He was followed over the whitewash by scrumhalf Hendré Schoeman before Zekhethelo Siyaya, who was impressive in the No 15 jersey on attjuniack, scored their third converted try to give the Junior Boks a 21-0 lead at the break. Georgia started the second half more determined, and the slippery conditions meant a lot of stop-start play as the players struggled with their handling.

The second half proved more abrasive and disjointed, which tested the team’s discipline and defensive resolve. Despite the pressure, the Junior Boks’ defence remained strong as they conceded only one try, their only one in two matches.

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