Baby Boks surge into JWC semis
12 Jun 2012
GARETH DUNCAN watched the Baby Boks deliver a miracle second-half performance to beat England 28-15 in a crucial Junior World Championship encounter at the Cape Town Stadium.
With England leading 3-0 at half-time after a dire performance from the Baby Boks in the opening 40, it looked like the hosts’ chances of recording the needed bonus-point win for a place in the semi-finals was shattered.
However, a rejuvenated showing after the break saw the SA U20s score four tries in an impressive all-round effort. While their lineout efficiency was poor throughout the match, their scrums strengthened, their backline play became threatening and they started gelling like a team instead of depending on individual brilliance, which has been the case for most parts of their campaign.
Flank Shaun Adendorff grabbed a brace, while outside centre William Small-Smith and flank Pieter Steph du Toit completed the successful mission. Flyhalf Handre Pollard also slotted all the conversions.
The Baby Boks finally showed their true potential against quality opposition. And their reward is a place in the final four – a fairy tale turnaround following a poor 23-19 defeat to Ireland on the opening day. It’s also a result that has probably saved head coach Dawie Theron’s job.
Outstanding. Dramatic. Well deserved. Words one wouldn’t have used to describe the victors before the second half.
The first stanza was a frustrating period for the hosts. While they created chances early on, a lack of composure, poor handling errors and erratic decision making saw them fall short on every occasion.
Defence was the only positive part of their game as the home team did very well to keep England out on several occasions, with wing Paul Jordaan’s cover tackling and Adendorff’s pilfering at the breakdowns being the highlights. Last year’s losing finalists won the ascendancy with a strong, physical showing from their pack, but they couldn’t find the killer punch to cross the chalk.
The tourists had to settle for a penalty from fullback Tommy Bell, which was enough to secure a three-point advantage at half-time.
Then came the extraordinary finish.
Stand-in captain Small-Smith benefited from a smart inside pass from centre partner Jan Serfontein to score a runaway try from centre field. Adendorff then powered over from close range to make it two tries for the SA U20s inside seven minutes. It was a perfect start to the second half, and set the tone for what followed.
England hit back through a series of Bell penalties, but this did little to stop the Baby Boks’ momentum. Du Toit, who was a colossal feature in the loose trio, burst through to score early in the final quarter, before Adendorff snatched the all-important fourth try 12 minutes from the final whistle.
It was a match that not only proved that this Baby Boks outfit has the makings of a champion side when driving at full throttle, but also showed that the Cape Town Stadium can be a wonderful host venue for rugby. The administrators at Western Province should take note.
The Baby Boks will now face Argentina in their knockout fixture at Newlands on Sunday, the same opponents they beat 2-0 in a warm-up series several weeks ago.
279 Comments
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13 Jun 2012, 09:41 am
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-248: te rangi is cool too agreed.
nzinchina used to be a normal poster who shared views and discussed rugby.
this site has changed him.
its sad.
13 Jun 2012, 09:44 am
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-232:
@Mr Black(Mr Black)-230:
good posts…!!
13 Jun 2012, 10:26 am
have to agree with tacitus.
toks vd linde’s postmatch interview with the england captain was cringeworthy.
hell, even the 20 year old showed more maturity
13 Jun 2012, 10:37 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-246: @rangerman(rangerman)-249: One of the doccies at the encounters festival is “Under African Skies” – Paul Simon returns to SA and reconnects with some of the artists of Graceland. Looks pretty cool.
His ’87 concert in Harare must rank as one of the best live performances ever, when you consider who he had on stage with him. The axis of this performance was Ray Phiri on guitar and Bakiti Khumalo on bass – no one in SA has since grooved like those two.
All the tracks were good, but check out the bassline on this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e26qTIydkG0
13 Jun 2012, 10:44 am
@charo(charo)-253: Toks is just a thick ex prop who seems to believe he has the charisma for a career in the broadcast media. I find him painful beyond words.
13 Jun 2012, 10:47 am
254
I can not let you post that comment without paying tribute to Steve Gad,the world’s finest rock and roll drummer,and the man that produced all the original drum samples in the drum machines used today.
He was the axis of that band,and I agree with you that concert and Bruce Springsteen’s concert in Harare for Amnesty International were the best ever for me,and I was at Woodstock in 69.
13 Jun 2012, 10:49 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-254: ja he was groundbreaking and took a lot of flak for coming to sa under apartheid.
13 Jun 2012, 10:53 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-254:
the bass in that whole album is pretty special.
love the comrade mugabe poster.
13 Jun 2012, 11:03 am
Fantastic second half. Serfontein, Adendorf, Pollard, Willemse,Small-Smith and Jordaan really stood out. All the players got stuck in but in the pack Adendorf and Willemse really look like players who have the temperament to play at the highest level. With fellow lock Botha and 7flanker Du Toit, the next generation Bok lineout looks to be healthy. I know they struggled in the lineout but that was not because of talent more a lack of cohesion.
The real shining light for me was how easy this backline made playing the game look. Every player showed great hands, real pace and a real physical presence and tenacity on defense. They look like world class players, especially the combination of Serfontein and Small-Smith. Given that Pollard is steel at school I can only imagine what an impact he will be making once fully matured. Jordaan looks just as comfortable at centre as on the wing and will cause a lot of teams headaches with his eye for the gap and turn of speed. The only player who looked a bit out of place was the fullback, not that he is bad just not the of the same calibre as the others.
13 Jun 2012, 11:26 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-243:
I have kids, and if someone I don’t know (not even by face) insults them, I couldn’t give a toss. And here’s why, they not insulting your kids. They insulting YOU, and trying to get a rise out of YOU.
And you took the bait, and now you are carrying on like a 12 year girl who’s cell phone has been taken away from her.
13 Jun 2012, 11:27 am
@mad eye(mad eye)-256: As far as I’m aware, Steve Gadd only did some additional drum tracks on one (or two?) tracks of the album. The bulk of the drum tracks on the album were done by Vusi Khumalo and a guy called Issac Mtshali, who was also the drummer at this concert.
No disrespect to Gadd – I’m a big fan of his.
13 Jun 2012, 11:37 am
261
Gadd was definately in the band in the Concert in Central Park and I am almost prepared to bet the farm on him being at that concert in Harare,but the years and the chemicals do take their toll.
87 is a lifetime ago,never mind 69.
13 Jun 2012, 11:41 am
@mad eye(mad eye)-262: At least we know where you are coming from now……”the years and the chemicals do take their toll”.
13 Jun 2012, 11:43 am
259
Jordaan,Small Smith and Serfontein all played together at Grey Bloem,no wonder Theron also wanted Goosen.
There is such a lot of amazing talent that has been produced by that school.
I stand to be corrected but I understand that the best of this class a centre by the name of Lindeque is at the Crusaders.
The man who has produced all this talent,I think 8 Grey Bloem old boys were in the Bok 22on Saturday,should be in charge of the Baby Boks at least
13 Jun 2012, 11:45 am
263
Shut up I was wondering when you would arrive to defend the great Kebble you were raging about last week.Seems like he’s just another sack of sad Bishops shite,living on Daddy’s reputation.
13 Jun 2012, 11:46 am
@mad eye(mad eye)-256: I’m still a wet behind the ears lighty. How was Woodstock? Can it ever be replicated? I know they tried it a few years back and it descended into anarchy.
13 Jun 2012, 11:50 am
MOM undoubtedly goes to PSDT. Was everywhere and all his contributions were constructive and positive. I’m not as convinced as most here. They baby Boks just don’t seem to be a team who can build a run of form. So next game they could either start the way they ended or continue with their naive, unimaginative, 1 dimensional rugby.
13 Jun 2012, 11:50 am
@mad eye(mad eye)-265: Wrong person. I did not ‘rave’ about any Baby Boks last week. You have me mistaken with someone else. Apology accepted. Now back to those chemicals.
13 Jun 2012, 11:54 am
Bismark,Jannie,Coennie,Straus,Flippie,Ruan,Frans,
add Brussow,Steggman,Joe Petersen.theEberson twins,Tian Liebenberg, and I know I am missing some,
if you add the junior Bok stars,you could easily put a team of Grey old boys together to win the super15.
13 Jun 2012, 11:56 am
268
**** you were raving about Kebble.Why deny it .
13 Jun 2012, 12:04 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-262: Where is this farm of yours? You can drop the keys off at my office if you like. Gadd was nowhere near Harare in 1987. He was the regular drummer for the Paul Simon Band for most of the 80′s (and he was the drummer in Central Park), but he had very little to do with this album (only performed ‘additional drums’ on the closing track), and had nothing to do with this concert.
13 Jun 2012, 12:04 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-270: If I had raved about Kebble I would admit it. It really was not me. All I did last week was whinge about Griesel, the Baby Boks lineouts, and their game plan against Ireland. Find the post please, as who knows, maybe I too was under the influence of chemicals and can’t remember posting a Kebble tribute.
Good luck finding it. (I am not a product of Bishops by the way.)
13 Jun 2012, 12:39 pm
@ Mad dog I have no doubt that GCB produces great rugby talents as the make up the numbers for the national team(both u20 & senior team)
Its a shame th cheetahs aren’t able to hung on to this guys as the bulls & Sharks get ahold of them
Sterfontian,WSS, Venter, Dries Swannepol etc are all old grey bloem boys at the bulls
13 Jun 2012, 13:37 pm
@storiejoernal(storiejoernal)-273: grey poaches talent from the whole country bud so the boys coming through are not neccescarily bloem or fs kids.
bear in mind too that a talented durban boy who goes to school at grey would probably choose to return to the sharks if he can because thats where he is actually from.
grey bloem is a national asset bud, it could be located in pofadder and the situation would be the same.
13 Jun 2012, 14:44 pm
274
That is not the argument I was making.
It is merely that someone at Grey is producing wonderful talent no matter where they go.They are now starting to go straight to New Zealand as evidenced by this Lindique kid,who by accounts is the most talented of them all.
Looking at the pathetic management of this Baby Bok side,maybe that person at Grey who ever he is should be in charge of the Baby Boks
13 Jun 2012, 15:02 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-275: ja look i wasnt replying to you.
the statement i find is a bit of a hoary old chestnut is the following:
“Its a shame th cheetahs aren’t able to hung on to this guys as the bulls & Sharks get ahold of them”
an examination of where these kids are actually from will probably dispel a lot of myths regarding cheetahs being poached dry (for eg. ashley johnson, rassie erasmus are just two imports who are cheetahs stalwarts).
13 Jun 2012, 15:27 pm
260 as I said earlier it wasnt me who was insulted im not sure which part of that you dont understand
13 Jun 2012, 15:43 pm
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-277:
Lol, boet, if it wasn’t even you who was being insulted, then I really don’t get your childish-anti SA behavior.
You not sensitive, you just a plonker. The silverfern misses you pumpkin, run home to mommy.
14 Jun 2012, 02:47 am
270 run along to your mommy you can do better than that mate, im not anti South African I love you guys I just dont rate your rugby that highly its outdated
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