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Andy Onyeama-Christie on brink of Saracens exit as new club emerge
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Haashim Pead stars as South Africa hand England U20 painful defeat
By Neil Fissler
Haashim Pead scored two tries as the Junior Springboks seized control of Pool A with a 32–22 win, inflicting a rare defeat on defending champions England after a toe-to-toe battle at Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo.
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Lions scrum-half Pead, who scored two tries in their opening game thrashing of Australia, put England, who had won six of their last seven clashes with the Junior Springboks, to the sword with a try in each half.
The defending champions got off to a stunning start after scoring two tries in the opening ten minutes before the Pead-inspired Boks took the game by the scruff of the neck with 13 points in the first nine minutes after the break.
England opened the scoring after seven minutes when Josh Bellamy launched a fine counter-attack, allowing Ben Redshaw to send in Jonny Weimann for a try that Bellamy converted.
They then scored a second try three minutes later when front rowers Kepu Tuipulotu and Ralph McEachran combined to put Connor Treacey over, and Ben Coen made it 14–0 with the conversion.
South Africa recovered from their shaky start after the cooling break when, in the 22nd minute, Cheswill Jooste hit the line like a rocket, leaving England standing and crossed the line with ease. Vusi Simphiwe Moyo converted.
Five minutes later, Pead created room for the Jooste afterburners and then sniped a score himself, but England extended their lead after 32 minutes when Jaco Williams pressed the self-destruct button.
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Williams handed Jack Bracken a gift try after throwing a blind pass instead of taking the ball into touch under pressure from Redshaw, who was chasing his own kick.
The Sharks’ full-back made amends within 90 seconds, however, drawing two England defenders before passing to Guillermo Mentoe, and Moyo’s conversion levelled the scores at 19–19.
England, who have now only lost two of their last 17 games, went ahead 22–19 at the break after a Coen penalty, but the second half was one-way traffic after Moyo landed two quick penalties, the second from inside his own half.
The Junior Springboks were in control and extended their lead to ten points after 49 minutes when Pead, looking like he was playing on cheat codes, scored a brilliant individual try that Moyo converted.
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England were left with too much to do, and the South Africans even managed to survive Gino Cupido being sent to the sin-bin without any further damage.
