A relieved Bafana Nhleko praised the fighting spirit of the Junior Springboks after a successful comeback to beat Argentina in the U20 Rugby Championship on Sunday.
The Junior Boks started strongly at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland when Jurenzo Julius scored in the opening minute, but could not build momentum and Argentina hit back with three converted tries to take a deserved 21-7 half-time lead.
Whatever Nhleko and his coaching staff said during the break had the desired effect as the South Africans hit back with three tries – all from tap-and-go penalties – by Tiaan Jacobs, Casper Badenhorst and Zachary Porthen.
The lead changed hands several times in a tense final 15 minutes before Los Pumitas went ahead 28-27 with five minutes left on the clock when Franco Rossetto scored his fourth try.
But a last-gasp penalty goal by Philip-Albert van Niekerk after a series of forward onslaughts on the Argentine tryline sealed the 30-28 victory.
Nhleko was delighted that his young men could secure their first win after a loss to Australia and a draw against New Zealand, who took the title after finishing the tournament with a 36-25 win against the hosts.
RECAP: Junior Boks claw back to stun Pumas
“The guys showed great character, belief and fighting spirit to shake off a disappointing first half,” he said.
“They showed glimpses of how we can play to eventually win the game against a good Argentina side. I must also praise the leadership group for the way they regrouped.
“The fighting spirit and refusal to give up is a great characteristic of the side and it bodes well for us as now that we head home to complete our preparations for the forthcoming World Rugby U20 Championship.”
Nhleko bemoaned a frustrating first half for the SA U20s, who allowed Argentina to snatch the momentum and initiative after a very good opening spell at the beginning of the match.
“We found ourselves in a very deep hole in the first half, frustratingly more from our own doing and we had to tweak a few things during half time,” he explained.
“The players responded well as we managed the game better in the second half and imposed our systems on Argentina, which allowed us to build momentum from where we could score.
“In the previous two games, we were leading in the 75th minute but ended on the wrong side and today, we were behind yet managed to find a way, which shows growth. Credit to Argentina though, they made it difficult for us especially in the lineouts, but I was happy with how stopped and handled their dangerous maul, which is their energy source.
“We will take some confidence from this result, but there is a lot of room for improvement. We will keep learning through our reviews and continue to work hard in training when we assemble again in Stellenbosch.”
The Junior Boks return to the Republic on Monday and will regroup again at the end of the month to complete their preparations for the U20 Championship, which will again be staged across venues in and around Cape Town.
Photo: Albert Perez/Getty Images