The South African Schools rugby team recorded their second win of the SA Rugby Under-18 International Series. The South Africans scored a crushing 48-14 victory over Argentina in Paarl, while the South African Schools A team had to settle for a hard-fought draw against Wales.
Just like their senior national team against the Springboks in Salta on Saturday, Argentina drew first blood, as Facundo Villalba powered over the try line.
While they may have made a shaky start in defence, South Africa more than made up for that with ball in hand. Simply outpacing their South American opponents with quick, accurate passes; Dylan Alexander and Henco van Wyk scored within a few minutes of each other to give the home side the advantage.
It was one-way traffic for the rest of the opening half as the South Africans continued to dictate play. They outclassed a somewhat pedestrian Argentinean defence two more times to take an emphatic 29-7 lead into half-time.
The hosts continued with that momentum on the other side of the break as Van Wyk went on the rampage for his second try of the match.
Gideon van Wyk capitalised on some sloppy ball handling just minutes later, further extending the home side’s advantage.
The tourists simply had no answer to South Africa’s strength and speed, conceding yet another try, the seventh of the match, handing the South Africans a comprehensive victory; their second of the series. The final score 48-14.
It was the South African Schools A side that got the action underway in Paarl on Tuesday afternoon, but it was their Welsh counterparts who dominated the first half; opening the scoring with a try within the first three minutes.
Wales enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, but the South Africans made their attacking options count a short while later, replying with two tries in quick succession to stay in touch of their opponents.
The visitors however, fought back strongly and bullied their way past their hosts’ lacklustre defence and also crossed the white line two more times, both from a set piece, to take a 24-17 lead going into the break.
It was a much better contest in the second half as a determined South Africa produced some magic to match their opponents’ three tries. The Welsh, who were a bit more consistent, responded almost immediately with another five points, but the home side maintained their composure, also capitalising from a line-out just minutes later to level proceedings.
Despite the visitors being reduced to 14 men for a shoulder charge in the last fifteen minutes, both sides tied on 31 points apiece.
