Junior Springboks run riot by NOT playing Lions rugby

Chean Roux’s Junior Springboks reached the semifinals of this year’s Under-20 World Championship with a magnificent 72-14 demolition of Argentina on Thursday.

South Africa scored an incredible 11 tries but the secret to that was the fact that they made it easier for themselves.

They didn’t play rugby in their own half and exploited the waywardness of their opponents.

That’s what winning rugby is about, not trying to run the ball from everywhere.

Who was the star in this match?

Lock Hendre Stassen was superb in his first start of the tournament. He performed his primary duties in the line-outs well, tackled like a demon and was an absolute menace at the breakdowns. The greatest illustration of his performance was how he single-handedly  stopped an Argentinian maul by ripping the ball out of their clutches.

Key themes and events

• Yes, the Junior Boks scored 11 tries in this match but don’t be fooled by the way they did it. This was traditional Springbok rugby at its finest. They didn’t play ball-in-hand Lions and New Zealand rugby. Instead, they applied pressure and scored points by punishing their opponents’ mistakes.
• The tone for a polished performance was set when bustling hooker Johan Grobbelaar scored two early tries. First, he rounded off some effective pick-and-drives and then poached an overcooked Argentinian throw from a defensive line-out.
• Centre Wandi Simelane received his second yellow card of the tournament for yet another deliberate trip. It threatened to disrupt the Baby Boks’ rhythm like it did against France but this time it wasn’t the case. They kept their cool at the breakdowns and struck a huge blow when winger Gianni Lombard rounded off some brilliant support play between forwards and backs with one man down. It led to a crucial lead of 19-7.
• Sharks star Curwin Bosch’s game management from flyhalf was outstanding. His tactical kicking was spot on as the Junior Boks essentially never played attacking rugby in their own half. It was smart, risk-free rugby and something the Springboks should consider too, especially at international level.

Point scorers

Junior Springboks – Tries: Johan Grobbelaar (2), Gianni Lombard (2), Damian Willemse, Yaw Penxe, Juarno Augustus, Embrose Papier, Manie Libbok, Francois de Villiers, Jean-Luc Cilliers. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (7). Penalty: Bosch.

Argentina – Tries: Felix Luna, Tomas Malanos. Conversions: Tomas Albornoz (2).