Sid Harvey the hero as Australia U20 snatch draw with New Zealand

HSBC SVNS Series star Sid Harvey was the hero for Australia U20 on Thursday, with the winger nailing a conversion after the siren to secure a dramatic 29-all draw with New Zealand U20 at Gqeberha’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Harvey had been kicking at 25 per cent in windy conditions before that attempt, but stepped up when it counted to ensure Australia wouldn’t leave the stadium empty handed after their opening match at U20 Rugby Championship.

The conversion completed a memorable comeback for the Aussies, who had fallen behind just five minutes into the match. Halfback Dylan Pledger caught the Aussies napping with a quick tap before finding winger Harlyn Saunoa unmarked along the left sideline.

New Zealand started their quest for another Rugby Championship U20 title with a bang, but they wouldn’t hold the lead for long. Australia hit back through outside centre Liam Grover about three minutes after Saunoa’s initial score, drawing the teams level at 5-all.

Harvey missed the conversion attempt but the sevens ace would make amends later on, with a sensational cut-out pass putting the winger over in the corner. From the left sideline, Harvey sent the attempt through the sticks to give the Aussies a seven-point advantage.

New Zealand were next to strike, with fullback Stanley Solomon crossing in the 34^th minute to reduce the deficit to two points, but the Aussies would have the last laugh before the break. Harvey created chaos with a chip chick which led to Grover’s second of the match.

Australia went into the break with a 17-10 lead.

But the match’s momentum swung in New Zealand’s favour early in the second term after fly-half Joey Fowler was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knockdown. Australia went down a man and the New Zealanders made the most of it.

Winger Maloni Kunawave scored twice in four minutes, and the New Zealanders continued to pile on the pressure which led to more points. Australia’s Joe Mangelsdorf was given a yellow card after an infringement at a maul and a penalty try was also awarded.

While the Aussies clawed their way back into the contest through prop Trevor King, who came off the bench to score a pivotal try with just under 20 minutes to play, another yellow card against the team was another significant moment.

James Martens was told to sit down for 10 minutes after a cynical foul, and that saw the Aussies go down to 13 men for five minutes. But, incredibly, Australia won a scrum penalty on their own five-metre line as they survived that passage of play.

That match appeared all but lost for the Aussies when winger Cooper Watters was tackled into touch with 15 seconds left on the clock, but captain Eamon Doyle claimed a game-changing steal at the lineout to give the men in gold a glimmer of hope.

Beau Morrison ended up scoring from a rolling maul in the 83^rd minute which Harvey the chance to snatch a draw. From a tough spot in windy conditions, the goal-kicking outside back overcame the immense pressure of the moment to convert he try.

Harvey had scored a thrilling match-winner for Australia against Fiji at the Hong Kong Sevens a little over one month ago, and the youngster has once again stood out with another unforgettable moment of rugby heroism.