South Africa U20 player ratings vs Georgia | World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026

South Africa U20 player ratings: The Junior Springboks had to weather an early Georgian storm before eventually overpowering the hosts 33-5 at Avchala Stadium to maintain their perfect start to the World Rugby Junior Championship.

Georgia shaded the opening exchanges with their trademark physicality and even crossed first, but once the Junior Boks’ maul clicked into gear there was only going to be one winner. The hosts spent long periods defending heroically, including the opening 10 minutes of the second half with 13 men, but South Africa’s relentless pack eventually squeezed the life out of the contest. Here’s how the players rated:

15 Akahluwa Boqwana – 7
Had far too much ground to cover when Georgia scored their only try, with the defence narrowing ahead of him. Missed his first conversion but was lively in attack, beating four defenders and carrying strongly from the back.

14 Cheswill Jooste – 8.5
A constant threat with ball in hand. His sharp footwork repeatedly created opportunities before he showed outstanding pace to gather Luan Giliomee’s cross-field kick for South Africa’s third try. Finished with two line breaks and six defenders beaten.

13 Samuel Badenhorst – 8
Carried tirelessly all afternoon and was difficult to stop once he built momentum. His 14 carries, four defenders beaten and two offloads reflected another industrious midfield display.

12 Markus Muller – 8
Made plenty of hard metres through the middle with a series of powerful carries. Beat five defenders and consistently got South Africa over the gainline.

11 Jack Benade – 7
Didn’t see a huge amount of ball but produced an excellent break early in the second half that helped build pressure. Solid without standing out.

10 Luan Giliomee – 8.5
Produced a classy performance despite an interrupted afternoon through injury. Landed all three kicks at goal, created Jooste’s try with a pinpoint cross-field kick and showed quick thinking to take a tap penalty for his own score.

9 Hendre Schoeman – 7
Controlled the game well and gave his forwards quick service. A tidy performance before making way just after the hour.

1 Oliver Reid – 8
Part of a huge front-row battle before South Africa gained the upper hand. Won an important scrum penalty early in the second half and played his part in the set-piece dominance.

2 Siphosethu Mnebelele – 9
Led from the front as captain. Scored twice off the back of South Africa’s increasingly dominant maul and was central to the set-piece control that wore Georgia down.

3 Danie Kruger – 8
Involved in a fierce scrummaging contest throughout before South Africa asserted themselves after the break. Won an important scrum penalty and claimed two turnovers in another industrious performance.

4 Heinrich Theron – 8
A physical display in the second-row. Carried 12 times, made a line break before half-time and was heavily involved as South Africa’s pack took complete control.

5 JD Hattingh – 7
Showed some nice handling in tight spaces and worked hard in the engine room. His only blemish was a needless shove off the ball that saw a penalty reversed.

6 Wasi Vyambwera – 7
Gave away an early penalty for a high tackle but improved as the game wore on. Made several strong carries in the tight, although he spilled one chance with the line at his mercy and later had the ball ripped from his grasp close to the try-line.

7 Luke Cannon – 9
Conceded an early penalty for a high tackle but responded superbly. Seemed to be everywhere around the field, carried more than anyone on either side and capped his display with a deserved try right at the end.

8 Kebotile Maake – 7
A dynamic presence at the base of the scrum throughout. Carried for a team-high 79 metres, consistently denting the Georgian defence and providing front-foot ball.

Replacements

16 Liam van Wyk – 7

17 Rambo Kubheka – 8.5

18 Luan van der Berg – 8

19 Jaythen Orange – 7

20 Risima Khosa – 7

21 Jayden Brits – 6

22 Alzeadon Felix – 7

23 Jordan Steenkamp – 6