VIDEO: Junior Boks' Costly Victory
UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP: The price South Africa paid for winning its battle against Ireland may just be big enough to be considered a Pyrrhic victory.
They may in the process of winning have lost two important players – flyhalf Damian Willemse and hooker Schalk Erasmus. Both were helped from the field with leg injuries.
Willemse was taken off on a mobile stretcher early in the second half with damage to his left knee.
Erasmus substituted Dan Jooste after 26 minutes of the first half but was helped off with about 10 minutes to play, replaced by Jooste.
If you had imagined that the first minute was going to set the tone of the match, you would have been very wrong, as the Irish proceeded to dominate the rest of the first half, enjoying over 70% of possession. And then, just four minutes into the second half, Ireland actually took a 17-12 lead.
South Africa simply could not get its hands on the ball. If your line-outs are wonky and your scrums ineffectual and your are conceding penalties to the extent of a yellow card, of course, you are in an uphill battle. What saved the young South Africans was their tackling. They had to tackle to restrict the possession-wealthy Irish to just one try.
The delusional start to the match was a try within the first minute.
Willemse kicked off deep. Irish got the ball back from a tackle/ruck and their scrumhalf, Jonny Stewart, kicked to clear. Zak Burger, the South African scrumhalf, charged the kick down and the ball slewed off into the Irish in-goal where Burger dived on it for a try, which Willemse converted.
Despite Ireland’s plethora of possession, South Africa scored again. This time they counterattacked, Willemse’s dancing feet set them on the attack and a sweet pass from bulky Asenathi Ntlabakanye saw Muller du Plessis sweeping over for a try. 12-0.
Ireland, enjoying possession and territory, scored when flyhalf kicked a long penalty. 12-3 after 23 minutes.
At this stage Erasmus came on as a substitute for Jooste.
Ireland attacked and from a five-metre scrum. Their impressive eighthman picked up and scored despite the efforts of three defenders to stop him. 12-10 after 35 minutes.
The referee had warned the South Africans against the many penalties they were conceding and, when substitute lock PJ Steenkamp was penalised at a tackle, he paid the price of his team’s misdemeanours by doing time in the sin bin.
During his absence Ireland came within an ace of scoring a try and then did get one to take the lead.
Stewart tapped a penalty and wing Tom Roche went flying for the line as Muller Uys flew into him. Roche seemed to have scored but the TMO-organised replays showed that he had knocked on. This was on the stroke of half-time and so South Africa went off with a 12-10 lead.
The second half settled down and twice Doris broke majestically. The second time he gave to fullback Michael Silvester who raced over for a try under the posts, and Ireland led 17-12.
There was a long break as Willemse went off and then South Africa had their man released from the sin bin, making them whole again.
Willemse’s substitute, Lubabalo Dobela, set the South Africans on the attack. Wandisile Simelane was over for the first of his three tries, and the score was 17-17.
By this time the South Africans were putting pressure on the scrums and using the maul to good effect. From a maul, Burger kicked high towards the Irish line. Simelane chased, leapt above defenders, fell to ground and scored. 22-17.
Simelane nearly set up a try when he grubbered and chased. He and Dian Schoonees were just beaten to the touchdown. That was on the left. On the right the dead-ball line just beat Tyrone Green as he raced after a bouncing ball.
Gianni Lombard kicked a penalty. 25-17 12 minutes to play.
There was an untidy scrum to South Africa just inside the Irish half near the touchline on South Africa’s left. Uys flicked the ball to Burger on the short side. He gave to flying Simelane who raced 40 cheerful metres to dive triumphantly for the try with just two minutes to play.
The final score looked more comfortable than the result really was.
Scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: Simelane 3, Burger, Du Plessis
Con: Willemse
Pen: Lombard
For Ireland:
Tries: Doris, Silvester
Cons: Dean 2
Pen: Dean
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Gianni Lombard, 14 Tyrone Green, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Lyle Hendricks, 11 Muller du Plessis, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Muller Uys, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Dian Schoonees, 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Daniel Jooste, 1 Nathan McBeth.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 PJ Steenkamp, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Lubabalo Dobela, 23 Manuel Rass.
Ireland: 15 Michael Silvester, 14 Tom Roche, 13 Tommy O’Brien, 12 Tommy O’Brien, 11 Sean O’Brien, 10 Conor Dean, 9 Jonny Stewart, 8 Caelan Doris (captain), 7 Matthew Agnew, 6 Joe Dunleavy, 5 Jack Dunne, 4 Cormac Daly, 3 Jack Aungier, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Jordan Duggan.
Replacements: 16 Dan Sheehan, 17 Bryan O’Connor, 18 Joe Byrne, 19 Charlie Ryan, 20 Aaron Hall, 21 Hugh O’Sullivan, 22 Harry Byrne, 23 James McCarthy.
Referee: Damon Murphy (Australia)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Vincent Blasco Baque (France)
TMO: Shane McDermott (New Zealand)
