Junior Boks thrash USA in JWC opener

6 June 2013

South Africa began the defence of their IRB Junior World Championship (JWC) title with a massive 97-0 thrashing of the USA at the Stade Henri Desgrange in La Roche-sur-Yon, France on Wednesday.

Only twice previously has a team topped the 100-point mark in the JWC, and on both occasions it was South Africa, which also beat the Americans 108-18 in 2008 and Fiji 104-17 in 2011. Both victories included a record 16 tries, a mark which the boys in green and gold matched in their 97-0 triumph.

They should have topped 100 points again on Wednesday, but they did at least come away with the biggest winning margin in the history of the event.

Goal kicking

The team’s goal-kicking, especially that of Handre Pollard, the only holdover from the 2012 title winning team, was poor as only seven of 16 tries were converted, while the referee blew both halves short by about two-and-a-half minutes each.

While coach Dawie Theron was happy to start with a win, it’s doubtful he learnt much from the one-sided thrashing.

“It was important for us to get a good start,” he told the IRB. “It was a game we expected to do well [in], but it was a difficult start as we know the other games will be harder.

‘A great start’

“We are happy we have come through this and it was a great start for us.”

Winger Seabelo Senatla matched a JWC record by crossing for four tries. He, fullback Cheslin Kolbe and centre Justin Geduld are members of the South African Sevens Squad for the Sevens World Cup and all three exhibited the skills that have served them so well in that format.

At scrumhalf, Stefan Ungerer enjoyed a fine game, delivering crisp service, kicking accurately, and making a number of incisive breaks.

Up front, the blond locks of huge flanker Jacques du Plessis were hard to miss. He was around the ball throughout the contest and shone on both attack and defence.

Bench

With victory secured so early in the game – South Africa led 54-0 at the break – coach Theron was able to give the players on the bench a good run out.

Surprisingly, considering the result, near the end of the game the Americans managed to lay siege to the South African try line, but the Baby Boks were up to the challenge as they made sure they kept a clean sheet.

They finished the game by crossing the USA’s try line for what should have been the try that took them past 100 points, but captain Ruan Steenkamp had the ball knocked free of his grasp in the act of touching down and three figures were not reached.

England

South Africa’s next match, against England on Sunday, should be the group decider after the English defeated hosts France 30-6 in their opening clash. England also beat the French in the Six Nations Championship and finished top of the table.

In Group B, Ireland, who shocked South Africa in their first match of the 2012 JWC, defeated southern hemisphere opposition again, downing Australia 19-15.

New Zealand did the expected as they thumped Fiji, who lost a player to a red card and were at one stage down to 13 men, by 59 points to 6.

Semi-finalists from last year, Wales and Argentina, both won comfortably in their first outings, with the Welsh seeing off Samoa 42-3 and Argentina outplaying Scotland 44-13.