Key score: Jan Serfontein
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South Africa became IRB Junior World Championship winners on Friday as they ended New Zealand's four-year reign with a 22-16 win at Newlands.
Victory in front of over 33,000 supporters in Cape Town capped an impressive turnaround for the Baby Boks, who had lost their opening game.
For New Zealand the defeat was one they could have few arguments about as they failed to match the physicality at both the scrum and breakdown.
The weather held off despite the cloud coming and going above the ground to cap a tournament that has been marred by rain and muddy pitches.
But the call to move games from Danie Craven Stadium to the Stormers' home and Cape Town Stadium paid off, with a record crowd watching.
It was an even and cagey opening to the match and it wasn't until New Zealand full-back Martin McKenzie broke out from his own half that the game sparked into life. Nothing came of the attack though as Milford Keresoma fumbled, with the ensuing minutes seeing Handre Pollard and Isaia West kick goals.
South Africa were the side on top though as captain Wian Liebenberg went close to scoring on the left but was deemed to have been held up. Pollard grabbed the consolation from an earlier penalty offence as the Baby Boks edged into a three-point advantage on 20 minutes.
The contest then slipped into finals rugby as both looked for position before McKenzie carved something out of nothing, beating three players on halfway and then handing to hooker Nathan Harris who swiftly put Keresoma in the clear from 35 out. There was no catching the Aucklander. West landed the touchline conversion to propel the Baby Blacks into a 10-6 lead as the clock edged to within two minutes of the end of a good first-half.
Pollard did cut the gap to just a single point with a penalty from in front before the break.
New Zealand almost hit back shortly after the restart when a fumble in his own in-goal area from Tshotsho Mbovane caused the Baby Boks a lot of bother. However, the hosts survived and in fact were the ones who recorded five points when Fabian Booysen sniped over.
Pollard's missed subsequent extras meant four points was the home lead but when West cut the lead down to one - proceeding a red card apiece for Baby Bok Paul Willemse and Baby Black Ofa Tu'ungafasi for punches thrown - it looked like more scores were on the horizon due it being fourteen against fourteen players for the final quarter of the game.
18-year-old Pollard stepped up first with a sweetly struck drop-goal from 45 metres and when Jan Serfontein powered over on the right, making it 22-13, it seemed New Zealand were about to finally surrender their Junior World Championship crown after a long spell.
So it proved as West's penalty was the only score to make it 22-16, which was the ending.
In the other fixtures taking place on the final day, Fiji avoided finishing last by overcoming Italy 19-17, Scotland ended up in ninth spot thanks to their 62-28 hammering of Samoa, England sneaked past Australia 17-13 at the University of the Western Cape while Ireland and Wales defeated France and Argentina to finish in fifth and third place respectively.
Results:
11th Place Play-Off
Italy 17-19 Fiji
9th Place Play-Off
Scotland 62-28 Samoa
7th Place Play-Off
England 17-13 Australia
5th Place Play-Off
Ireland 18-7 France
3rd Place Play-Off
Argentina 17-25 Wales
Final
South Africa 22-16 New Zealand
By Adam Kyriacou at Newlands
Comments
black47 says...
hybrid187
Sounds just like mcCaw after second test against irish. NZ well used to ignoring the opposition in post match interviews
Posted 19:19 25th June 2012
Dingbat32 says...
@rugbylover - yarpie? seriously? Is it ok if I call you an inbred sheep molester then?
And yes I agree, I think all Bok fans know that our talented backs need to see the ball.
Posted 21:21 24th June 2012
ruckingkiwi says...
Most Kiwis have rightfully praised the junior Springboks, sadly there will always be the odd exception who rise to the bait of people like Dingbat.. NZ were 7 points away from 5 titles in 5 years, this most recent effort with no S15 players and no returning players from last year. I suspect a period of Springbok dominance is still some way off, but we Kiwis welcome the challenge, but first and more importantly, the Bledisloe Cup tests against our biggest rivals!
Posted 03:55 24th June 2012
7ton says...
@manwarrior
"rightfull no 1 spot"? Why marr a good win with arrogant comments like that? S Africa will have to do better than draw against England to get to no. 1 won't they!
@The Babyboks
congratulations and well played
Posted 02:26 24th June 2012
hybrid187 says...
That was an awesome game , and one that SA deserved so well done.
The most annoying thing about that game was the humbleness and praise given to the SA team and the SA crowd by the NZ captain compared with that of the SA captain after the game, it disappointed me really, no mention of NZ at all... though he did manage to praise the lord about 4 times.
Posted 23:19 23rd June 2012
Zandberg says...
Great game and well done BabyBoks. Would have been nice though seeing the BabyBoks congratulate the opposition immediately after the game, before doing their celebrations and bizarre charismatic prayer circle! Quite a cringe moment when SA captain felt it necessary to thank the "heavenly father" for their victory. As if the deity would care who wins... Also at 2011 World Cup Final it would have been sporting of NZ players to congratulate French (who gave them a hell of a run) before celebrating. Come to think of it, same thing at every final...
Posted 22:24 23rd June 2012
rugbylover says...
@Dingbat32 from a pom:
Self deprecation? Irony? From a yarpie!!!
Now that is funny. Well done.
But seriously; back to the vurry bst ov smashem bashem rrrrrugbie is it? In the very best South African 'style'?
Set the clock bek 50 yrs.
Posted 21:57 23rd June 2012
Ramage says...
Geez ! Jonesy2 were we watching the same game? The junior Boks deserved their win and are to be congratulated on their fine performance.The baby Blacks played well but were outgunned by a better team. I often post on here about sad losers who blame the ref for their team's loss and you too are one of those whinging losers as well. Please try and be fair in your posts as the ref, I thought, had a good game apart from an over reaction and red carding the two players. Yellow in my opinion would have sufficed. I am one kiwi who is not afraid to give praise where it is due, well done to the Junior Boks you won and won well.Congatulations and by the way I will always remember that scrum, mighty.
Posted 16:03 23rd June 2012
Ramage says...
Geez ! Jonesy2 were we watching the same game? The junior Boks deserved their win and are to be congratulated on their fine performance.The baby Blacks played well but were outgunned by a better team. I often post on here about sad losers who blame the ref for their team's loss and you too are one of those whinging losers as well. Please try and be fair in your posts as the ref, I thought, had a good game apart from an over reaction and red carding the two players. Yellow in my opinion would have sufficed. I am one kiwi who is not afraid to give praise where it is due, well done to the Junior Boks you won and won well.Congatulations and by the way I will always remember that scrum, mighty.
Posted 15:54 23rd June 2012
ManWarrior says...
@ all the Kiwis, as SAFFAS our measure of strength is always in our games against the AB's...we beat you last night to win the U19 RWC. Get use to it as it's only the start our the Springbok brand reclaiming our previous glory and rightful number 1 ranking. And I'm sure not one AB team will just give it to us so when we do rank NO 1 again can we have no crying and whigning (especially you big6969). Go Bokke!!!
Posted 15:46 23rd June 2012
Dingbat32 says...
LOL - you kiwis are too easy to wind up! Sense of irony and/or self-deprecation are 2 things that seem to bypass the whole country.
Posted 15:00 23rd June 2012
jonesy2 says...
Wallaroo-- no need to have hissy fits dude im just stating facts, you know im right
Posted 14:05 23rd June 2012
scot_rsa says...
Great result, the Baby Boks were a pleasure to watch and well worth the win. A word for the Scottish boys too, they played some great rugby and the future looks a little brighter for them too. Wonderful tournament, deservedly given wide tv coverage.
Posted 14:03 23rd June 2012
mumbojumbo says...
Well done both teams for an exellent game of rugby.
How did the Baby blacks feel after their couch announced they are the weakest Baby black team to ever take part in the tournament.?
Well done guys for playing with so much passion
Posted 12:50 23rd June 2012
mumbojumbo says...
Well done both teams for an exellent game of rugby.
How did the Baby blacks feel after their couch announced they are the weakest Baby black team to ever take part in the tournament.?
Well done guys for playing with so much passion
Posted 12:49 23rd June 2012
bokrocker says...
We Saffas have been painted as moaning bad losers,the thruth is we a we are passionate about rugby, love it and I see that same passion reflected by other rugby lovers here. Losing is not the end of the world and refs are just human beings. Many games have been won on forward passes or by some error, its not a perfect world we live in but in the end there is nothing to compare to rugby, especially to all folk who love it with a passion.
I like the way the folk approached the game when I grew up often watching great matches at Loftus, the good old days when rugby was still a gentelmans sport and mouth gaurds were forgotten on the sidelines, didnt play with one myself and men Like pote Fourie with a few teeth left after numerous tough and unforgettable battles.When men aplauded the opposition for scoring a try or kicking a penalty.
Great work Baby Boks and good luck to all the teams in the upcoming Rugby Championship.
Posted 12:46 23rd June 2012
KiwiJoe says...
Didn,t see the game but sounded like a deserved win to the Baby Boks, well done guys, SH rugby looks in rude health and I hope Argentina benefits in the long run too., keep it going.
Posted 12:09 23rd June 2012
Rugbyphile says...
Great speech by losing AB captain --disappointed in the SA captain who did not acknowledge his opponents and did not see the SA boys shake hands with the A Bs maybe they did and cameras were not on them but it would have been later than it should have been anyway. Awesome talent on display // Pollard and Serfontein men amongst the boys --Small-Smith and Jordaan out as well
Posted 12:07 23rd June 2012
Wallaroo says...
@jonesy2 - there were poor decisions both ways, but that's not the point. Read your post compared the balance of people and you will see how bitter and twisted it presents. Irrespective of the outcome it was a phenomenal game and both teams deserved applause for their exceptional play.
Bottom-line is most of your posts are clearly one eyed and lack sportsmanship. The biggest issue I have with you is that too many people think you're an Aussie. I am and don't want them associating you with us.
BTW I really don't give a rats what you think of me, guaranteed I'm more balanced than you will ever be as clearly demonstrated by the differences in our posts.
Posted 11:18 23rd June 2012
jonesy2 says...
Wallaroo-- i didnt realise you were such a moron. explain to me how im wrong and i will accept that you arent the biggest squeezer of all time
Posted 10:42 23rd June 2012