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IOL News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Baby Boks lose to New Zealand to finish third in junior Rugby Championship in Gqeberha
JUNIOR Springbok wing Gino Cupido scored one of the tries against New Zealand in Gqeberha. | World Rugby The Baby Boks were beaten 48-45 by their All Black counterparts in the finale of the Rugby Championship held in Gqeberha on Sunday night to finish in a disappointing third position. New Zealand won the championship, Australia were runners-up, and Argentina finished fourth. It was a game in which tries flowed freely, with 15 in total, and the Boks scored three of them in no time to lead 19-0 within the opening 10 minutes. SA coach Kevin Foote had included just five players from the side that lost to Australia earlier in the week, and the returning stars from the opening round victory over Argentina made the difference. A brilliant start by the Junior Boks culminated in burly centre Albie Bester crashing over for a second-minute try. The ultra-physical South Africans continued to clatter into the New Zealanders, and it was massive prop Simphiwe Ngobese who smashed over for his team's second try. It was 12-0 after eight minutes, but the Bok youngsters were hardly finished. From a lineout maul, hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele barged over and Vusi Moyo kicked his second conversion to make it 19-0. The first chance the All Blacks got in the SA half, they responded with a well-taken try by left wing Harlyn Saunoa. It was an epic opening quarter, with 24 points scored. The New Zealand comeback continued with Saunoa's second try and suddenly it was 19-12, but on the half hour, the home team struck back superbly with a try by wing Gino Cupido. However, they would have been disappointed to immediately concede a soft try when their defence went missing to allow Kiwi hooker and captain Manumaua Letiu to score. Cole missed the conversion attempt but the visitors were not finished for the half and Saunoa nailed his hat-trick at the hooter. This time Cole converted to narrow the score to 26-24. It was Saunoa's right wing counterpart, Maloni Kunawave, who scored early in the second half to give his team the lead for the first time, at 31-26. The Kiwis accelerated into a 12-point lead when prop Sika Pole scored. Junior Bok No 8 Wandile Mlaba superbly scored an opportunistic try off the back of a scrum to make it 31-28 and shortly after wrestled over for another. At 38-43, it was a one-score match. That changed when Kunawave acrobatically scored his second try at the corner flag, and his team's eighth. Kiwi flank Caleb Woodley was red-carded for a dangerous tackle with ten minutes to go, but the Boks could not make the advantage count until five minutes from time when they earned a penalty try. The scoreboard showed eight New Zealand tries to seven by South Africa, and this was reflected in the final score. Scorers Junior Springboks — Tries: Albie Bester, Simphewe Ngobese, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Gino Cupido, Wandile Mlaba (2), Penalty Try. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (3). Kyle Smith. Junior All Blacks — Harlyn Saunoa (3), Manumaua Letiu, Maloni Kunawave (2), Sika Pole, Stanley Solomon. Conversions: Will Cole (4)
TimesLIVE
11-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Junior All Blacks retain rugby champs title with thrilling win over Boks
The All Blacks staged a stunning fightback to edge the Junior Boks 48-45 and successfully defend their Under-20 Rugby Championship title at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Sunday. After trailing 19-0 after 13 minutes, the Baby Blacks had to dig deep before they were able to subdue SA and send out a warning that they will be the team to beat at the Junior World Cup, which kicks off in Italy on June 29. The New Zealanders hung onto their slender lead with grim determination when they ended the game with 13 men after Caleb Woodley was red-carded and Randall Baker was shown yellow. The Boks threw everything they had at the All Blacks in the final moments, but they were unable to crack open New Zealand's brick wall defence. #JuniorBoks skipper Riley Norton reacts to their 45-48 loss to the Baby Blacks in their last #TRCU20 match of the tournament 🗣️ — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 11, 2025 SA's hopes of lifting the title were dashed even before they started their game against New Zealand. Hopes of glory on home soil for the Junior Boks ended when Australia beat Argentina 40-36 in the early game of a double header. That result meant that even if the Boks had beaten New Zealand with a bonus point and drawn level with Australia on the log, the Junior Wallabies were still ahead on the table because they beat the Boks in a second-round fixture. Despite being out of the running before a ball had been kicked, the Boks drew on their resilience to produce a courageous performance. It had been billed as brutal warfare in the trenches, and the battle lived up to prematch hype in front of 15,000 fans. There were scenes of uncontained joy at the end when New Zealand coach Milton Haig joined his players on the field to lift the trophy in front of an appreciative crowd who were treated to an absorbing double header. SA made a perfect start when powerful centre Albie Bester crashed over the New Zealand try line in the second minute after a period of sustained pressure from the men in green and gold. The action was fast and furious in the opening minutes, and the Junior Boks had a second try when powerful prop Simphiwe Ngobese bulldozed his way over the New Zealand try line. New Zealand were reeling after 13 minutes when Bok hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele touched down after a driving maul to which SA put SA into a commanding 15-0 lead. The Baby Blacks hit back after SA's electrifying start when elusive wing Harlyn Saunoa somehow managed to squeeze over in the corner to reduce the deficit to 19-5. In a sudden momentum shift, the All Blacks were back in the fight when the dangerous Saunoa went over for his second try, which left the Boks with a 19-12 advantage. The try feast continued in the 29th minute when hard-running wing Gino Cupido crossed the Boks' fourth try. New Zealand hit back with tries from skipper Manumaua Letiu and a third five-pointer from Saunoa to leave the Boks with a slender 26-24 halftime lead. The All Blacks took the lead for the first time in the game when express pace wing Maloni Kunawave won a foot race to touch down and to put his side ahead 29-26 after 42 minutes. Clever play by Bok No 8 Wandile Mlaba resulted in SA's fifth try as the game continued at a frenetic pace. Kunawave put the All Blacks into a 48-38 lead after 19 minutes left when he scored an acrobatic try in the corner.
