Sport Rugby

SA U20s play for pride at World Rugby’s U20 Championship

Francois De Wet|Published

Big boy: Junior Springbok lock Bathobile Hlekani

Pride is on the line when the Junior Springboks tackle Wales in today’s 2pm seventh place playoff final of World Rugby’s U20 Championship, while France is gunning to win a fourth straight title later on tonight against England at Cape Town Stadium.

South Africa’s U20s have had a miserable home tournament after back-to-back pool stage losses to Argentina and England and then getting klapped, again, by Argentina (34-24) in Sunday’s fifth-place semi-final playoff between the two teams.

And after losing to the Pumitas for a second time, coach Bafana Nhleko’s team have been doomed to a SA U20 side’s worst finish at a yearly championship, by having to play for the seventh spot in the hopes of not losing and ending up eighth.

PAINFUL: Bafana Nhleko

Nhleko, however, believes his team can lift their standards by klapping Wales, and says ahead of today’s clash: “We must live with the pain of a disappointing campaign and the frustration of small margins…

“But, we are responsible, to ourselves and the people who have supported us, to finish well.

“We have one more match to try to live up to the standards we have set for ourselves.”

Nhleko, however, knows Wales will be no push-overs and said: “Wales will be equally motivated to end the tournament positively, so we must be ready and focussed to meet their challenge. And, we hope to deliver a performance that shows our abilities and restore some pride.”

TODAY’S U20 CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES

11th Place playoff: Spain v Fiji, 12pm, Athlone Stadium

7th Place playoff: SA v Wales, 2pm, Cape Town Stadium

9th Place playoff: Italy v Georgia, 2.30pm, Athlone Stadium

3rd Place playoff: Ireland v New Zealand, 4.30pm, Cape Town Stadium

5th Place playoff: Australia v Argentina, 5pm, Athlone Stadium

Final: England v France, 7pm, Cape Town Stadium

Daily Voice

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