The defending champion Junior Springboks booked their place in the Junior World Championship final after hammering England in Tbilisi on Monday.
Winger Khuthadzo Rasivhaga grabbed a hat-trick as Kevin Foote’s charges ran in seven tries, and flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed scored 23 points, to triumph 53-37, having trailing 20-12 at half-time at Avchala Stadium.
The Junior Boks will face France in the decider on Saturday after the French edged New Zealand 26-22 in the first semi-final of the day.
England struck first through tighthead prop Ollie Streeter, who rumbled over off a strong maul, before flyhalf Hugh Shields kicked and scored to open up a 10-point cushion.
The Junior Boks hit back through Ahmed and Rasivhaga, but Shields’ boot kept the English ahead.
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Flanker Seb Kelly’s red card for a head-butt on Junior Boks fullback Luan Giliomee reduced England to 14 men before the break, and the South Africans fought back from their first-half deficit with venom.
They seized control after the restart, Rasivhaga completing his hat-trick and openside flank Kebotile Maake crossing the whitewash twice.
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Flanker Luke Cannon added another before Ahmed’s monster penalty from the halfway line brought up the half-century for South Africa.
England rallied through replacement Johnny Weimann, No 6 Tate Williams and a second Shields try, while a Giliomee yellow card was upgraded to a 20-minute red for a dangerous aerial challenge on opposite number George Pearson, but the damage had been done.
JUNIOR SPRINGBOKS – Tries: Yaqeen Ahmed, Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (3), Kebotile Maake (2), Luke Cannon. Conversions: Ahmed (6). Penalties: Ahmed (2).
ENGLAND – Tries: Ollie Streeter, Hugh Shields (2), Johnny Weimann, Tate Williams. Conversions: Shields (3). Penalties: Shields (2).
Photo: Tamuna Kulumbegashvili/World Rugby
