Junior Boks overpower Georgia in Tbilisi shutout

THE Junior Springboks produced a dominant first-half display to secure a 35-0 victory over Georgia national under-20 rugby union team in their first-ever meeting at the Avchala Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

A clinical opening 40 minutes long laid the foundation for the comprehensive win, but the South Africans were forced to dig deep defensively after the break as their hosts mounted a determined response.

South Africa stormed into a 35-0 halftime lead, capitalising on their chances with precision while maintaining sustained pressure on both attack and defence. Scrumhalf Hendre Schoeman opened the scoring, setting the tone for what followed.

Prop Danie Kruger crossed next, followed by hooker Liam van Wyk and loose forwards Kebotile Maake and Gert Kemp. Fly half Yaqeen Ahmed added all five conversions to complete a flawless first-half return.

Despite the commanding scoreline, head coach Kevin Foote admitted discipline posed an early concern.

“We had a lot of penalties going against us in the first five minutes, but the guys showed massive character,” Foote said afterwards.

South Africa absorbed that early pressure and gradually tightened their grip on proceedings, showing composure and accuracy in key moments to pull away before halftime.

With the fixture forming part of their preparations for the upcoming global showpiece, Foote opted to replace his entire starting lineup at the interval to ensure valuable game time across the squad. The wholesale changes inevitably disrupted cohesion.

Georgia responded with renewed intensity in the second half, and while they enjoyed extended spells in South African territory, they were repeatedly denied by resolute defence.

The Junior Boks struggled to regain the control they had exerted in the first half. Handling errors crept in, the penalty count mounted, and momentum shifted. Yet their defensive line held firm, ensuring the hosts were kept scoreless.

“We changed the whole team at halftime just to give everyone a run, but after that, we couldn’t really control the game,” Foote explained. “The penalty count was just too much, and we had too many handling errors.”

Even without adding to their tally, the visitors showed resilience in an arm wrestle that produced no points in the final 40 minutes.

“The guys were resilient, and even though we didn’t score, we kept them out despite the many penalties and turnovers. There was a lot of courage in our defence,” Foote said.

The match also provided the squad with the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Avchala Stadium facilities, which will host matches during the Junior World Championship in June and July.

“We started really well. It was a great hit for us, especially being able to use the stadium and facilities where we’ll play our Junior World Championship matches,” Foote added.

While pleased with the result, the coach indicated that execution, particularly in handling and decision-making, will be a major focus ahead of the second encounter between the sides in Tbilisi on Friday.