SA Schools win big

The extent of their defeat did not do Wales justice as they had some good passages of play and were always competitive, but a burst of three tries in the first 10 minutes of the second half put the South Africans on their way to a big score. The only Wales try was the last score of the match, just two minutes from full time.

Wales seemed to have the better of the scrums and coped with the line-outs but they did not have the speed of the smaller South African backs. As one expects of the relatives of the men of Harlech, they did not give up.

Both teams ran at the start and Wales may well have been better off if they had continued to do so as their kicking game did not work.

The South Africans almost scored early in the match when Nico Leonard raced down the right and chipped ahead. He was first to the bouncing ball but knocked it on. But he had put his side on the attack and when Wales went offside, Curwin Bosch opened the scoring., 3-0 after 5 minutes.

South Africa were at their best when they used short, quick passes. They came close when Embrose Papier counterattacked and Bosch gave Leonard an underarm but Wales coped and then went on the attack when, from a scissors, Josh Hodson sped down the middle of the field. When SA Schools were penalised flyhalf Billy McBryde goaled. 3-3 after 14 minutes.

South Africa had a good period of attack after this  with Manie Libbok  close on the left, but they had to be satisfied by yet another Bosch penalty. 6-3 after 25 minutes.

Wales were actually enjoying a majority of possession and territory, and when South Africa were penalised at a scrum McBryde made it 6-all after 28 minutes.

The South Africans came back on the attack and great work by the big flanks Ernst van Rhyn and Cobus Wiese got them close but Bosch was tackled out near the corner. Andell Loubser and Stedman Gans brought speed into the attack and when Wales were penalised at their posts South Africa tapped and bashed for the littlest man on the field, scrumhalf, Embrose Papier, dabbed over for the try. 13-6 after 30 minutes.

Then came a most thrilling non-try. Hooker Johan Grobbelaar won a turnover at a tackle inside his own half and the next thing Bosch was speeding through the defence from some 60 metres from ther Welsh line. He headed for the left corner as Hodson covered in desperation. Hodson dived to tackle and Bosch dived to score. Bosch got over but the TMO advised that a trailing foot was in touch before he grounded the ball.

For the second half referee Ramos replaced referee Tom who had taken a bang to his thigh.

Wales kicked and Bosch countered in his own half and then gave to Gans and the sinewy centre beat four Welshmen on his way to a brilliant try.. 18-6 after 36 minutes.

Gans got the next try as well. Wales kicked and Andell Loubser got the ball on the half-way line. He ran straight and then gave to Gans who ran 40 metres for his second try.

Wales were on the defence when McBryde attempted a clearing kick but Grobbelaar charged it down, skilfully gathered the ball and scored at the posts. 32-6 after 46 minutes.

SA Schools had scored 19 points in 11 minutes of the second half.

Wales attacked – had a five-metre line-out, were set attacking by a break by  Matthew Aubrey, charged down an attempted clearance by Papier and from a scrum Rhys Fawcett was close. But this all came to a sad end with a penalty.

The next thing Leonard raced through on a 50-metre run which came to an abrupt end when he was ankletapped from behind by the long arm of lock Callum Bradbury.

Sadly for Wales they lost their fullback Rhun Williams to a red card for a gross air tackle on substitute scrumhalf Jondré Williams. Bosch goaled the subsequent penalty from a long way out and then a bout of clever passing put Ruben de Villiers over for a try in the left corner. That made it 42-6 with five minutes to go.

Wales did not waste those five minutes  for from a scrum Kieran Williams went on a long run down the midfield and capped it by reaching out for the try that made the final score 42-11.

Scorers

For SA Schools:

Tries: Embrose Papier, Johan Grobbelaar, Ruben de Villiers, Stedman Gans 2

Cons: Curwin Bosch 4

Pens: Curwin Bosch 3

For Wales:

Try: Kieran Williams

Pens: Billy McBryde 2

Teams

Wales: 15 Rhun Williams, 14 Teri Morgan-Gee, 13 Danny Cross, 12 Kieran Williams, 11 Josh Hodson, 10 Billy McBryde, 9 Matthew Aubrey, 8 Rhys Fawcett, 7 Ellis Shipp, 6 Leon Brown, 5 Calum Haggett (captain), 4 Callum Bradbury, 3 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 2 Morgan Sieniawski, 1 Joshua Macleod

Replacements: 16 Gerwyn Coleman, 17 Steff Thomas, 18 Kieron Assirrati, 19 Bryce Morgan, 20 Aled Ward, 21 Efan Jones, 22 Callum Hall, 23 Connor Edwards

SA Schools: 15 Andell Loubser, 14 Nico Leonard, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 David Brits, 11 Manie Libbok, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Kwezi Mafu, 7 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 6 Cobus Wiese, 5 Ruben de Villiers, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Carlü Sadie, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Cabous Eloff

Replacements: 16 Nico Peyper, 17 Ashwyn Adams, 18 Dewald Maritz, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Jondré Williams, 22 Damian Willemse, 23 Wandisile Simelane, 24 Heino Bezuidenhout, 25 Manuel Ras

Referee: Emanuele Tomo (Italy) replkaced at half-time by Luc Ramos (France)  

Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs (South Africa), Jabian Jeftha (South Africa)

Television match official: Jason Jaftha (South Africa)