Junior Boks slay Wales for seventh

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The Junior Springboks put on a showcase of attacking rugby to end their U20 Championship campaign on a high by beating Wales to seal seventh place.

Sibabalwe Mahashe and captain Zach Porthen each scored a brace of tries, one in each half, as the Junior Springboks claimed a 47-31 victory over Wales in the seventh-place playoff at Cape Town Stadium on Friday.

Coming into the match on the back of a disappointing run of three defeats in a row, the Junior Springboks produced arguably their best performance of the tournament, scoring seven tries as the attack thrived on a sunny afternoon.

The platform was laid early on by skipper Porthen, as the tighthead prop went on a spectacular 22-metre charge to score the opening try of the match in the first 10 minutes.

Dominating possession and territory, the Junior Springboks added two further tries through Mahashe’s first score and JF van Heerden, to take a 19-5 lead into the break.

Mahashe was at it again early in the second half, as the sleek loose forward burst through Wales’ defence from a lineout move to seal his brace, before Jurenzo Julius set up Batho Hlekani with a neat grubber kick into the corner.

While Wales grabbed a couple of tries of their own, the Junior Boks all but sealed the result when scrumhalf Asad Moos scored a quick-tap try, before Porthen went over for his second try from the back of a maul.

Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images

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