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Back-to-back Junior Boks win World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia
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Markus Muller scored the only try in the second half as the Junior Boks retained their World Rugby U20 Championship title with a 16-5 win over France in a game that was delayed by 45 minutes because of lightning.
South Africa have now won their last 11 games in the tournament, and it was the first time since 2019 that they have claimed victory over France, who are still seeking their first win in the final since they saw off Ireland in South Africa three years ago.
Ironically, it is the first time that the Boks have won the last two senior World Cup finals and have gone on to win back-to-back Junior titles, and they will be hunting France’s record of three successive titles in a year’s time.
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Yaqeen Ahmed settled any Baby Bok nerves with an eighth-minute penalty, but despite having over double the possession, a huge number of mistakes from both teams on a greasy surface kept it an arm wrestle.
But on 36 minutes, France thought that they had taken the lead when Baptiste Tilloles supplied a pass to Romeo Bonnard Martin, only for fly-half Luka Keletaona to have been adjudged to have impeded Boks full-back, Alzeadon Felix.
And then on the stroke of half-time the French conceded a penalty five minutes inside their own half, and Ahmed thumped over the resulting penalty to double his side’s lead.
Les Bleuets needed an early response to break the Junior Springboks’ stranglehold on the final, and they got it six minutes after the turnaround when Tilloles sent a long pass out wide where Raphael Audebert accepted the gift to cut the deficit to one point.
Ten minutes later, the Baby Boks thought they had increased their advantage against the run of play when Jayden Brits hoisted up a high bomb, Khuthadzo Rasivhagamade was judged to have knocked on challenging Hugo Avogadro before Samuel Badenhorst scored.
Then, in the 66th minute, they got the score they were looking for. Liam Van Wyk controlled the ball from the back of a rolling maul, and Markus Muller picked a fantastic line to cross the line, with Ahmed converting.
And the Baby Boks thought they had ended French resistance seven minutes from time when Felix took the French defence with him before passing back inside to Cheswell Jooste, but his try was chalked off for a foot in touch earlier in the move.
It was Ahmed’s turn to have a try ruled out after 77 minutes after he was adjudged to have jumped over a defender but nailed a penalty given for a high tackle.
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