WRAP: In the 7th and 8th place play-off of the World Rugby U20 Championship at the Cape Town Stadium – South Africa bounced back with a convincing win over Wales following a string of losses after a win in their tournament opener against Fiji.

South Africa had a penalty and opted to go for the corner off which they set a maul, but Wales repelled that onslaught to get the turnover and scrum feed.

Wales absorbed a lot of pressure as the hosts were physical from the outset but couldn’t do it for sustained periods when prop and captain Zachary Porthen broke the tackle of Wales prop Kian Hire and stepped hooker Isaac Young for a great individual score to open the scoring in the eighth minute.

The Welsh started slipping tackles and giving attacking opportunities to the hosts when No.8 Sibabalwe Mahashe and lock JF van Heerden scored in the 21st and 31st minutes respectively to give the hosts a healthy 19-0 lead.

Wales fought bravely and kept themselves in the fight when they breached the defence and wing Walker Price dotted down in the 35th minute for an unconverted try which saw the Junior Springboks head into the break leading 19-5.

South Africa started the stronger of the two sides after the break with great interplay hetween flyhalf Tyloor Sefoor who got his pass away to centre Joshua Boulle who found Mahashe who dotted down for his brace in the 46th minute.

Wales had an attacking scrum just inside SA territory and played quick hands to the wing that saw the Cape Town born Aidan Boshoff score against the country of his birth.

South Africa had an opportunity to strike back again when captain Porthen bursted through a few tackle attempts and got his offload away to get SA inside the 22 of Wales but that tot undone by a knock on 5 metres from the line by replacement outside back Albert-Philip van Niekerk.

The try eventually came when South Africa attacked off a lineout maul and had a penalty advantage for not rolling away, but it wasn’t needed as Julius offloaded to Shirwood who got it back to Julius that grubber kicked it through for flank Bathobele Hlekani to dot down.

Wales seemed to be in with a chance when against the run of play replacement outside back Steffan Emanuel intercepted a long pass to go over under the posts for a converted try.

That score was soon cancelled out when Mahashe claimed the restart and won a few meters in the process set South Africa up to strike back – with a penalty advantage blown up scrumhalf Asad Moos took initiative to tap and go as he went over for the try.

South Africa counter rucked Wales that conceded the penalty for a side entry in the 66th minute.

South Africa went to the line and set up a maul which Bester broke away from and another penalty was awarded to the hosts.

Replacement Divan Fuller took the tap from the penalty and set up captain Porthen for his brace in the 68th minute.

Wales had the final say of the match with tries by wing Walker Price and replacement forward Owen Conquer in the 72nd and 82nd minutes respectively with Wilde slotting both conversions, but South Africa had done enough to claim 7th place.

 

Spain fight back to punish Ill disciplined Fiji

Spain fought back from a 14-point defecit to complete a remakable comeback in extra-time against an ill disciplined Fiji outfit in the 11th and 12th place playoff at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.

The match started at a frantic pace, with both sides showing willingness to give the ball air despite the terrible conditions that has been seen throughout the course of the tournament.

Spain wing Julien Burguillos was yellow carded as soon as the fourth minute of the match for cynical play after a linebreak by Fiji.

Both sides, especially Spain had plenty of opportunities to score but couldn’t capitalise and in the 27th minute Fiji hooker Moses Armstrong-Ravula was yellow-carded after being warned for not releasing the tackled player in the red-zone twice.

The islanders seemed to get new life soon after their hooker’s indiscretion as four minutes later flank Ratu Nemani Kurucake broke the deadlock to get the first points of the afternoon on the board through a converted try.

Spain had a scrum feed in the 36th minute but had a tighthead against them with Fiji winning possession and stringing their attack together and getting another penalty to which they set a lineout inside the 22 metre area of Spain.

The try followed soon after with Iowane Vakadrigi dotting down with Basiyalo slotting the conversion for a 14 point lead.

Spain stayed in the fight after Ill discipline by Fiji gave Spain an attacking lineout and hooker Diego Gonzalez Blanco dotting down to cut the lead for Fiji to 14-5 heading into half -time.

Fiji started the second stanza stronger with great attacking play by their outside backs to get them into the Spain half and play was stopped for an injury.

Fiji got the scrum feed to restart the match and it paid off as they worked it to the blindside with Basiyalo getting his offload away to Ronald Sharma for a try in the corner.

Spain then got a penalty as Fiji played a player in the air, with Spain going for the corner and have the maul going which was a weapon for them throughout the clash.

With two penalty advantages on their side Spain kept it tight to pick and drive and it paid off when flank Jokin Zolezzi dotted down in the 56th minute.

Discipline continued to be an issue for Fiji as flank Ratu Nemani Kurucake was yellow carded for cynical play in the red zone in the 67th minute.

Spain had an attacking scrum and seemed to be in as they went wide but a TMO called overruled the score as No.8 Valentino Rizzo knocked the ball on at the base of the scrum – but in the attack that lead to the disallowed try there were head on head contact by wing Waisake Salabiau and he was red carded in the process.

Spain scored a try to level matters in the 71st minute through flank Nicolas Moleti but couldn’t capitalise with numerous scoring opportunities towards the end, with the match ending in a Spain maul being held up over the line to head into sudden death extra-time for the first time in the tournament.

The first half went scoreless with Nawai having a long range opportunity with a penalty to win it but was well short in the first half.

Both sides gave it everything with plenty of turnovers by both teams but the defining moment came when Spain had a penalty for holding on inside their own half and had set a lineout 5 metres from the Fiji line.

They had a maul collapsed illegally and threw the dice again with a second attempt at it and this time it paid off when replacement hooker David Gallego dotted down to seal the win and ensure Spain will remain in the U20 Championship after being promoted from their trophy win the year before.

Wales v South Africa, 31-47

Scorers:

For Wales:
Tries: Emanuel, Boshoff, Conquer, Price 2
Cons: Wilde 3

For South Africa:
Tries: Van Heerden, Moos, Hlekani, Mahashe 2, Porthen 2
Cons: Koen 2, Sefoor 4

Teams:

Wales: 15 Matty Young, 14 Walker Price, 13 Macs Page, 12 Louie Hennessey, 11 Aidan Boshoff, 10 Harri Ford, 9 Rhodri Lewis, 8 Morgan Morse, 7 Lucas de la Rua, 6 Ryan Woodman (captain), 5 Gethyn Cannon, 4 Jonny Green, 3 Kian Hire, 2 Isaac Young, 1 Josh Morse.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thomas, 17 Ioan Emanuel, 18 Sam Scott, 19 Nick Thomas, 20 Owen Conquer, 21 Lucca Setaro, 22 Harri Wilde, 23 Steffan Emanuel.

South Africa: 15 Bruce Sherwood, 14 Joel Leotlela, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Joshua Boulle, 11 Ezekiel Ngobeni, 10 Tylor Sefoor, 9 Asad Moos, 8 Sibabalwe Mahashe, 7 Bathobele Hlekani, 6 Keanu Coetsee, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Jaco Grobbelaar, 3 Zachary Porthen (captain), 2 Luca Bakkes, 1 Casper Badenhorst.
Replacements: 16 Ethan Bester, 17 Liyema Ntshanga, 18 Herman Lubbe, 19 Wandile Mlaba, 20 Divan Fuller, 21 Liam Koen, 22 Phillip-Albert van Niekerk, 23 Litelihle Bester.

Referee: Reuben Keane
Assistant referees: Sam Grove-White, Neheun Jauri Rivero
TMO: Mark Patton

Spain v Fiji, 24-19

Scorers: 

For Spain: 
Tries: Moleti, Zolezzi, Gallego, Gonzalez Blanco
Cons: Otanendi 2

For Fiji: 
Tries: Sharma, Vakadrigi, Nemani, Kurucake
Cons: Basiyalo 2

Yellow cards: Burguillos, Armstrong-Ravula, Nemani Kurucake, Basiyalo

Red card: Salabiau

Teams: 

Spain: 15 Luciano Richardis, 14 Julien Burgullios, 13 Alberto Carmona, 12 Yaco Fernandez, 11 Hugo Pichardie, 10 Gonzalo Otamendi, 9 Javier Lopez de Haro, 8 Valentino Rizzo, 7 Jokin Zolezzi, 6 Nicolas Moleti, 5 Manex Ariceta Maestro (captain), 4 Pablo Guiaro, 3 Hugo Gonzalez, 2 Diego Gonzalez, 1 Alberto Gomez.
Replacements: 16 David Gallego, 17 Pau Massoni, 18 Aniol Franch, 19 Martin Serrano, 20 Antonio Gamez, 21 Nico Infer, 22 Unax Zuriarrain, 23 Gabriel Rocaries.

Fiji: 15 Isikeli Basiyalo, 14 Aisea Nawai, 13 Benjamin Naivalu, 12 Ponipate Tuberi, 11 Waisake Salabiau, 10 Ratu Isikeli Rabitu, 9 Samuela Ledua, 8 Simon Koroiyadi, 7 Ronald Sharma, 6 Ratu Nemani Kurucake, 5 Malaki Masi, 4 Nalani May (captain), 3 Luke Nasau, 2 Moses Armstrong-Ravula, 1 Mataiasi Tuisireli.
Replacements: 16 Iowane Vakadrigi, 17 Anare Caginavanua, 18 Breyton Legge, 19 Iliesa Erenavula, 20 Josua Gonewai, 21 Pauliasi Korobiau, 22 Joseva Ubitau, 23 Avakuki Niusalelekitoga.

Referee: Federico Vedovelli
Assistant referees: Christopher Allison, Eon van Zyl
TMO: Tual Trainini