New Zealand as a nation may be yet to lose a match in the history of the Junior World Championship, but Baby Blacks coach Dave Rennie is all too aware of the threat posed by South Africa’s Under 20s ahead of their semi final in Rosario.
The two sides, who have never met in the tournament before, have had vastly different journeys to this stage with a slightly older New Zealand side finishing top seed after comfortable wins against Fiji, Samoa and Wales in Pool A.
South Africa, on the other hand, made easy work of their Pool C matches against Tonga and Scotland but came out on the wrong end of an enthralling decider against Australia, losing 42-35 to qualify for the semi finals as the best placed runner up.
Clearly eager to match New Zealand’s pace out wide, South Africa coach Eric Sauls has made just two changes to the side that started against Australia with Branco du Preez, the shortest player in the tournament, coming in to the centre and Nico Scheepers getting his first call up on the wing.
New Zealand have made only three changes to the side that beat Wales 43-10 with prop Angus Taavao-Matau, number 8 Rory Grice and centre Star Timu getting starts. The biggest plus for Rennie, though, is that Julian Savea, the tournament’s leading try scorer with six, has recovered from a knock to his hip in the first half against Wales.
New Zealand coach Dave Rennie:
“South Africa pose a lot more problems for us. Obviously they have a very big pack and they’ve got a lot of wheels in the backs so you know they’ve got the ability to play both those sorts of games. We won’t stray too much from what we’ve been trying to do, if we can get some good go forward ball then hopefully we can stretch them a bit. You’ve got to front from a set piece point of view and they’re a very good side in that regard.
“The Africans have got a number of really good players. We’re happy with some of our boys who have stepped up and we certainly have got guys starting in this game who if you’d asked us maybe five or six weeks ago we would have thought they’d maybe be bench at best so it’s good. We want competition for places and hopefully that’ll help us get a good performance.”
New Zealand captain Tyler Bleyendaal:
“South Africa is a big side, a lot of pace and they are going to be a tough team to play against. I guess we are looking forward to the challenge, we can’t wait really. Everyone is feeling it at this stage of the tournament, three games gone plus whatever warm up matches, four day turnarounds, every team is going to be sore, you have just got to play off those little niggles. They had a tough match but I am sure they will have no problem fronting up.
“We are going to have to knuckle down and we are going to have to be physical too, we are going to have to match it and just try to dominate as best we can. Take it to them early on and just stay in the fight and keep fighting.”
New Zealand prop Willie Ioane:
“It’s going to be a big, physical game like always and like all the other South African teams they’re just going to try and out muscle us and just try and give a head clash and you know the boys are all ready for that, the physical match and we’ve just got to front up and see how it goes.”
South Africa coach Eric Sauls:
“It will be physical with the teams playing, especially with New Zealand and their experience of being world champions. Certainly I don’t think they will come just to defend the title. It will be a very tough one, it won’t be easy.
“We have to stand up, it was obviously disappointing after the defeat. We had to pick up the boys. I think it was very intense, one of the great games, but we made too many mistakes, especially on defence and we have worked on that.”
South Africa centre Jaco Taute:
“We want to focus on what we are going to do so we can control the controllables and just give our best on the field and bring our game to the match and see how they respond to us.
“We haven’t watched New Zealand in depth so far so we don’t really know about their key players or anything like that but we are aware New Zealand is a very good team and a very proud rugby nation. They are ranked number one in the world so we know we’re going to be up against tough competition so we’ve prepared very well and I think we are up for the challenge.”
Courtesy of the IRB
Tweet
Kick-off 21:30 SA Time.
Live on SS2 in SA
Live on Sky in the UK
Live on Showsport in Middle East
Now just to convince my wife to skip Fringe for tonight 😐 😆
SA Under-20s –
15. Patrick Lambie
14. Wandile Mjekevu
13. Jaco Taute
12. Branco du Preez
11. Nico Scheepers
10. Elton Jantjies
9. Louis Schreuder
8. CJ Stander (c)
7. Fanie van der Walt
6. Siyamthanda Kolisi
5. Sebastian de Chaves
4. Kene Okafor
3. Marcel van der Merwe
2. Monde Hadebe
1. Brummer Badenhorst.
Reserves –
16. Francois du Toit
17. Ruan Dreyer
18. Wessel du Rand
19. Mlungisi Bali
20. Lohan Jacobs
21. Adri Jacobs
22. Sampie Maskriet
@FireTheLooser (Comment 2) :
I have got to watch this in between getting ready to leave. 🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : I’m just afraid we’ll lose, will it have been worth the effort watching if we lose? I’m still contemplating it.
I might also have to flip between m-net and SS2 during add breaks, wish they chose a better day to play.
NZ Under-20s –
1. Angus Taavao-Matau (Auckland)
2. Liam Coltman (Otago)
3. Jeff Allen (Wellington)
4. Blade Thomson (Taranaki)
5. Liakimatagi Moli (Auckland)
6. Luke Whitelock (Canterbury)
7. Sean Polwart (Auckland)
8. Rory Grice (Waikato)
9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato)
10. Tyler Bleyendaal (Canterbury, captain)
11. Telusa Veainu (Canterbury)
12. Charlie Ngatai (Wellington)
13. Star Timu (Hawke’s Bay)
14. Julian Savea (Wellington)
15. Tom Marshall (Tasman)
Reserves
16. Paul Ngauamo (Canterbury)
17. Willie Ioane (Manawatu)
18. Tom Franklin (Otago)
19. Matt Graham (North Harbour)
20. Kayne Hammington (Wellington)
21. Hayden Parker (Otago)
22. Jason Woodward (Wellington)
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) :
http://www.irb.com/jwc/video.
The matches will also be shown on the link above a few minutes after they finish.
Bleyendall and Savea are special ?
Could one or both make the AB Squad for the RWC next year.
People seem to think Cruden and Guildford will….rumour is these two are better and the former were in the U20’s last year. ❓
My wife also a Fringe fan 🙄
@Charlie (Comment 9) :
…of who ?
GO BOKKIES !!!
Series on TV…same time on as rugby 🙁
@Charlie (Comment 12) :
…got it …..watched the first series liked it then just forgot about it….like most of my TV Series watching.
24, House, Lie to me, Lost, Fringe, …. the list goes on !
@Charlie (Comment 9) : And worst is they only show the re-run LATE during a week night 😥
Gonna have to give my best foot massage ever, maybe she’ll fall asleep 😆
@Charlie (Comment 9) : I am however glad they didn’t play last night….PACIFIC was on, hard choice between rugby and II WW series.
Go Bokkies, make us proud!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 16) :
It’s not going to happen Rich…trust me on this one ! 😉
Haha Hert! We shall see about that.. Its going to be a great game, just a shame I can’t watch! Thus my commenting here to follow the comments coming thru to my email.. Lol
May the best team win..
Ag shame! You and Charlie are whipped!! 😈
I think HH might just make his first ‘correct’ prediction this evening!!
Howzit HH ol buddy ol pal?? 😉
@wpw (Comment 19) : Not everyone has pvr decoders…..it’s very rarely that I find something on dstv while my wife wants to watch something else…the choice is normally very basic, RUGBY is always the first choice over the weekends, but on a thursday night I’m kinda stuck. 😉 😆
I’m starting to think I might need to get myself a pvr, even though there’s hardly ever any one thing worth watching on dstv, never mind 2 shows at the same time 🙄
@wpw (Comment 20) :
Excellent big fella….. Hope you are enjoying the World Cup.
South Africa and Capetown in particular looks a picture….i’m definitely coming for the Barbecue one day !
@wpw (Comment 20) : Or maybe his junior team might decide to play like real AB’s and choke when it matters most
😉 😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 23) :
Can’t see it ….but then again never see it coming.
….is Wayne Barnes the Ref..
Will I get home in time? And will mrs otto let me watch?
FTL
I hear you bro!! 😳
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 24) : Naah, not to worry HH, it’s not him.
In any case, I can’t see the Jnr AB’s choke against the baby Boks, they’ll just get beaten fair and square by the better team
Bwahahaha
Another one!!
Come on Rob, show her who’s boss!! 😆
@robdylan (Comment 25) : It’s hard to be the man of the house, so many things to worry about 😆
Waavoo lag jy wpw, wie’s die baas innie hys ha ?
@Charlie (Comment 30) : Just wait ’till wpw takes his panty off, then he’ll show us who’s boss 😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 27) :
I have been wrong before ! 😆
Right i’m off to watch England v Australia…have it recording !
Will try and catch you during the match !
@wpw (Comment 19) :
And we have just got a new record for the Richest comment ever on Sharksworld. 😆
That is RICH coming from you Wes.
Hey!! Waarvan praat julle moffies??
EK is die baas in MY huis!!
(Charlie, moen my nie piemp nie). 🙄
Die All Blacks maak kla mettie Haka Kaka os wil speel 🙁
Aus have comfortably beaten England in the 1st Semi.
hey hey hey… the boss is in the house
We can get our revenge in the final 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 37) :
Aus 28 – 16 Eng
Aus make their 1st ever JRWC Final.
Wie dra die broek ! Lucky Luke ?
Julian Savea TRy!!!!
gah. Bloody Microsoft Silverlight doesn’t work in Chrome…
VERY Poor Defence by Branco Du preez.
Who said we should buy him. With Defence like that I’d pay him to stay away.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 42) : that’s not a good start
Finally, I have visual!! Lol
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 46) :
seems it is LIVE on the IRB and not delayed. 😯
Jantjes pushes a DG to the right of the poles, he is left footed.
Lol! Managed to steal the remote from the girlfriend!! Haha!!
lovely pass from hte kiwi 10…
Is it me or do we look a bit shaken?
There is ANOTHER Whitelock on the horizon. 😯
LUKE Whitelock playing for these guys.
How many of them are there?
Scrum going backward a bit there?!
These guys seem to realise that our midfield defence (Du preez) is useless, they are runn8ing past him at will. 👿
Stander looks good.. Who is he with? Bulls?
jinne, maar jantjes is KAK
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 55) : alas.
Hadebe is a talent and he’s OURS
baby boks really do blow hot and cold
NZ PK
NZ 8 – 0 SA
21min
8-0 to the bad guys
Is it just me or does the flyhalf seem very average?
Sorry for my ignorance, but its the first time watching them..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 53) : more like a lot, looks like the Bok scrum with Smit at 3 😉
geez, the hands are terrible on both sides…
And Du Preez gets bounced again.
Is he from the Bulls? why do i dislike him so much? 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 64) : SWD, actually
Just short hey.. Damn.. Confident start for Lambie though.. Go boy!!!
@robdylan (Comment 65) :
Do they HAVE a defence coach?
ref’s a bit clueless, it seems?
Kiwi Try.
What was that penalty for? I thought they were obstructing?
faaaark…. another kiwi try.
Not gonna win here cos we can’t fken tackle 🙁
Converted
NZ 15 – 0 SA
29min
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 70) : they were, but this ref only sees it one way
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 70) :
So did the commentator, but HE is clueless. 😆
Defence is very poor..
They keep the ball as well as Bafana do!
the south african scrummie is completely useless too…
Damn but the Baby Boks are poor!! 👿
ANOTHER Kiwi TRY!
One positive, the line out seems decent. We winning ours and managed a steal!
we don’t have a scrum coach either…
we are just crap 🙁 🙄
20-0 NZ 😯
Let’s hope we at least beat the Poms in the 3rd place play-off. 😕
eish… is Branco du Preez scared?
Do they have a COACH at all??
Conversion over
NZ 22 – 0 SA
34min
@robdylan (Comment 83) :
I wasn’t going to comment on THAT bit of defence for fear of sounding like a broken record, but now that you mentioned it….
3rd scrum in a row we’ve conceded a free kick for early engage… are we DOF?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 86) : that wasn’t defence
I knew this would happen!! The coach must go!!
The baby boks are being manhandled
ah this scrumhalf is KAK. Is he a bull?
@wpw (Comment 89) :
make sure the tackle coach goes WITH him.
Lots of penalties for SA, but we can’t do anything with the ball..
I see Meisiekind’s younger boet is also in the team!
Only an Olivier can pass to the linesman like that!! 😈
Brummer Badenhorst. 😕 😕
Wonder if his mother’s maiden name was Brummer. 😆
van der merwe looks useful. WP?
Unlucky call.. Did look a wee bit forward though
ref has forgotten to have a half time
Can anyone ask the commentator if McKevo is related to Mjekevu?
Our 9 is useless!
Attack looking a bit better now..
Lacking that big back that can break the line..
@robdylan (Comment 98) : 😛
Du preez try!!!!!!
Welldone bokkies!
Good try.. We needed that before half time!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 103) : Ironic that it was because of poor defence.
Try ! Du Preez !
finally a try
HAlf Time
NZ 22 – 7 SA
hmmmm…. Branco kinda redeems himself a little… none of the kiwis were short enough to tackle him 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 99) : and his first name is Waandiyl
@robdylan (Comment 111) :
Let’s hope we can keep that up..
Can the baby blacks imitate their older team and choke a bit.m
hmmmmm
Not much to write home about… only shining light so far has been marcel vd merwe… well, not even really shining.
And so the Bafana dream ends.. Mexico beat France 2 – 0
Where was the obstruction there??????????
Doesn’t the NZ flyhalf look a bit like Stephen Larkham?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 117) :
my thoughts as well
The ref was clearly obstructed, I didn’t see anything!!
du preez can’t try the step EVERY time… they actually do learn, these kiwis
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 115) :
France must be worried. If they lose to us the won’t go through. 😛 🙄
The refs advantage lasts a mere 2meters.. Jeez..
ref doesn’t get advantage
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 115) :
So Uruguay v Mexico will be the pool decider.
I hope the french don’t make it.. They never deserved to get here..
Bafana could restore some pride with a good game against the French..
I honestly think Mexico will go far in the WC.. At least quarter finals!
Okay guys my PC has to be shut down and packed for the trip.
Enjoy the rest of the game. i will be on as often as i can while on vac.
Cheers.
hmmmm…. very underwhelming display
Enjoy your trip dude!!
this kiwi commentator is giving me the sh*ts
Agreed Rob.. Completely outplayed!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 127) : cheers oubaas
I’m just not convinced by the flyhalf! Anybody else there that can play 10?
This is like watching Bafana play last night
a bollcoks man… since when do SA have soft forwards at ANY level of the game?
The boy can kick a bit..
That should be the final nail in the coffin.
The commentators are seriously useless hey! Terrible!
Men against boys this. Manne giving the laaities a snotklap.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 133) : what about the blonde 15 who is completely out of the game at the moment?
why am I forcing myself to sit through this?
They milking us slowly..
HH must be smiling widely!!
ball retention is non existent!
@robdylan (Comment 141) : Have just wondered exactly the same.
I hate saying it, but they look like a sharks backline!!
our props are getting eaten alive!
Iv given up boys.. I’ll follow your comments here on in..
Tera Mthembu is useful…
Bugger this. I´m off 🙁 Cheers chaps.
I can’t torture myself anymore, I am going to bed.
Cheers boet..
it’s not getting any better
Sorry Rob.. I wish I could say I’m a die hard, but I can’t do this much longer!
Thanx for the commentary.. Cheers dude
ah crap. Another try
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 153) : ciao. I’m just watching this now cos I have nothing else to do. Sad, huh?
Wow, this is a white wash..
Shall we disect it in an article tomorrow? Let’s not blame the coach or ref and actually say how brilliant this NZ team is!!
At least you don’t have work piling up and studies waiting after that!!
Enjoy it! Or try at least. The rugby this weekend is going to be good, looking forward to the Eng v Aus game!
ho hum
Mthembu… the silver lining for the Sharks?
So South Africa and England will play for 3rd spot on Sunday night 😉
I am out ! Sleep tight 😉
can’t even remember what the final score was.
They had lots and we had f-all.
Good night, cruel world.
Girls amongst men. The baby boks were made to look just that, they should all burn their jerseys and be too embarrassed to tell any person they were part of this team.
They really gave Bafana a challenge for worst ambassadors of the country, but unlike bafana I don’t think the blame is to be accounted to the players only, but rather the coach and a certain selection policy.
One thing is certain, there is still a lot of development needed at age group for our u/19 team to be somewhat competitive, AND A NEW COACH WON’T HURT EITHER.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 163) :
Bro, calm down for goodness sake. Get a grip will you!!! 😆
NZ were just unbelievable and dominated every single facet of the game. The fact that they are yet to lose a match in the history of this tournament says a lot doesn’t it??
@FireTheLooser (Comment 163) : He could get someone in to teach them how to tackle. The only person in the entire backline who has good tackle technique and a willingness to put his body on the line is Lambie.
You can hide one bad tackler in your team, not six. We were never going to be good enough, we were shown up against OZ and even more so last night.
Sauls has been in charge for three champs, never made the final. COnsidering the successes of our senior teams, we have the players.
I think in this case, we need an overhaul of the coaching setup. And select a better side.
SA scrums being dominated by OZ and NZ. Backline that can’t tackle.
We’ve got spam…..Barrera25Gina….please block him before he spams every single thread since ’07
@wpw (Comment 164) : The fact that they are yet to lose a match in the history of this tournament says a lot doesn’t it??
Yes it does, it means SA has not been up to the standard they are more than capable to be at, and thus has not de-throned the kiwis, as is our mission to do.
Even Lambie looked average last night, and I can’t believe that a player of his quality goes off over night….Sauls and a serious lack of team spirit is costing us at junior level.
@Baldrick (Comment 165) : Our girls seemed to be afraid of tackling, running backwards hoping someone else will tackle the guy with the ball.
Really a pathetic sight.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 166) : thanks to your quick action we have managed to block down a major source of spam
@robdylan (Comment 169) : Do I get a cup?
😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 167) : You can’t blame Lambie, though. At the end you could just see him wondering why he’s in Argentina with the kids when he should be playing fullback for the Boks against Italy.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 170) : there was a time where there was no stars, no cups, no icons at Sharksworld and we all behaved.
Then Rob turned us into these cup greedy monsters
😉
@rhineshark (Comment 171) : No I’m not blaming Lambie at all, I’m saying the coach is that bad that he’s even able to make Lambie look incompetent, which Lambie most definitely is not, even in an under performing Sharks backline he shone.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 173) : shining in underperforming Sharks backline 😆 – you are not exactly paying him a compliment here.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 173) : Sorry I didn’t mean that you blamed him. I should have said “one” can’t blame Lambie.
I blame Christelike Nasionale Onderwys for teaching me kak English
@rekinek (Comment 174) : 😀
@rekinek (Comment 172) : At the very least I was hoping for my fourth star
@rhineshark (Comment 171) : @FireTheLooser (Comment 173) :
So if Lambie has a crap game it is the coach’s fault.
OMG, now I’ve hear it all. 🙄
@rhineshark (Comment 175) :
😆 
😆 
@wpw (Comment 178) : better than YOU 😆
i am sure we have some more to shock you, though.
@wpw (Comment 178) : some consistency, please… you yourself were attacking the coach just yesterday
@wpw (Comment 178) : NO, when the whole team including one of the brightest young talents in SA rugby has 2 crap games, not unlike the two previous u/20 teams….now that’s the coach’s fault ❗ ❗
@robdylan (Comment 181) :
My point: Maybe Lambie just had an off day.
I know what I said about the coach BUT NZ totally outplayed us and deserved to win.
The fact that Lambie was crap isn’t the coach’s fault.
Sheesh moet ek vir julle prentjies teken?? 😈
@FireTheLooser (Comment 182) :
2 crap games?? I thought Lambie played rather well against the Aussies.
Let me ask you this: When we lost 0-49 to Aus in 2006, was it Jake White’s fault or were the players also too blame??
Os
Smit
CJ
Danie PK
Matfield
Joe
Juan
Spies
Januarie
Mal Jaco
Habana
Olivier
TWG13
Akona
Percy
That is not such a bad team and yet we lost 0-49.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 173) : Agree totally!
Lambie did well to hold his head above water in the Ozzie game, but couldn’t cope against the tsunami of collapse that was the Baby Boks last night.
@wpw (Comment 178) : No, but if the team has two kak games against quality opposition, the same coach who hasn’t been able, in three years, to take his team into the finals, when the seniors are world, BIL, 3N and S14 champs (ie we have the talent), then what’s the common thread here?
@wpw (Comment 184) : Joke White obviously, just because we won the ’07 wc don’t make him the wonderful coach he claims himself to be, we all know that wc we had a rather easy run in.
You kinda arguing in my favor here, baby boks lost due to their crappy coach.
@wpw (Comment 184) : I think you’re paddling a sinking ship here 😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 187) : Don’t know what WC you watched – but none of those games was easy….and dont forget we beat England 36 : 0 and beat them again in the finals. Understand you are upset but give credit where credit is due.
@wpw (Comment 178) : I never said it was the coach’s fault that Lambie had a kak game, dude. Didn’t even mention the coach 😕
@wpw (Comment 184) : Now that doesn’t seem like a bad team but in the 2006 tri nations that was Spies’ first game, Big Joe was played out of position. The front row was bullied. The entire backline had a nightmare. “It was a drop kick” looked like a deer in the headlights, he never could marshall a team.
The only player who actually had a halfway decent game was Jaque Fourie.
@rhineshark (Comment 190) :
Sorry dude, my comment was aimed at FTL. 😕 🙄
@wpw (Comment 192) : No worries, bru 😉
@Just a Fan (Comment 189) : We faced England and Argentina as our biggest competition and almost lost against Tonga…..if we beat OZ, France and NZ then it was a great wc (not unlike the ’95 wc).
Still glad we won it though and Joke White did instill a new era in Bok rugby which he deserves credit for, but I don’t think he’s as great as he would like everyone to believe.