Bridging the north/south gap growing in U20 rugby
South Africa’s Junior Springboks are not doing well at the inaugural U20 Rugby Championships, but these matches provide valuable experience. By
In a country where the Springboks are revered because they are world champions again, there is little patience with any other rugby failure in the system. By being the best in the world at Test level, the understandable expectation is that the rest of South Africa’s rugby teams must also rule the world at the varying levels of the sport – sevens, under-20s and schoolboys.
The reality is that it’s not that straightforward and, at the vital under-20 level, the gap between the northern and southern hemisphere has been growing for a decade.
In the past decade, England and France have won six of the eight U20 World Championships (two years were cancelled because of Covid) that were staged. The north has been improving and dominating while the south recedes.
It’s partly economic, as rugby’s financial clout still resides mostly in France, Britain and Ireland, but it’s also systemic.
South Africa and New Zealand, in particular, have excellent schools that play high-quality rugby, but without regular international competition at under-20 level, the cracks are developing.
Wake-up call
Last year, the Junior Boks finished third despite suffering a sensational defeat against Italy in a Paarl mud bath in the Pool stages. The reality was, though, that eventual winners France (who claimed their third U20 title in succession) and runners-up Ireland were far ahead of the chasing pack.
France and Ireland were too fast, too organised and skilful, and too battle-hardened after the U20 Six Nations for South Africa, Australia, New Zealand or Argentina to compete.
Evidence of the growing gulf between the northern and southern hemispheres was easy to see – from performances and big match temperament to the actual scores.
New Zealand, for so long the dominant team at U20 level, finished seventh at the World Championships last year.
France battered New Zealand by 35-14 in Pool play and Ireland thumped Australia 30-10. The Junior Boks lost 34-26 to Italy. New Zealand only beat Wales by a point in a thrilling 27-26 win and Australia and England drew 22-22.
Outside of France and Ireland, the contests were tight, but the reality is that the southern hemisphere teams are falling further and further behind. This is why the establishment of an age group Rugby Championship was vital to bridge the divide.
After last year’s loss to Italy, Junior Bok coach Bafana Nhleko highlighted the need for more age group competition. He said what many were thinking, but few, if any, had the courage to express openly.
“If you look at all the Six Nations teams they start playing the Six Nations comp from under-16 onwards and by the time they get to under-20 – in junior terms – they’ve got 50 international caps,” Nhleko pointed out.
“It’s not something that we have, neither do we have the privilege of playing against them and testing ourselves.
“We’ve got a great product which is our schoolboy [rugby] and we must never go away from that because it’s a bedrock of our system, but where we ... can get better as to understanding what that product needs to do to support the under-20 programme.”
After the 2023 debacle, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby (Sanzaar) moved quickly after last year’s U20 World Championships staged in the Western Cape, to establish an annual Rugby Championship tournament at U20 level.
It was a recognition of the widening divide and the potential knock-on effect of that into senior rugby.
Sure, the Boks and All Blacks contested the final of the Rugby World Cup 2023, but outside of that tournament, France and Ireland in particular, but also England and Wales, have been regularly winning matches against Sanzaar opponents
Trial and error
The inaugural U20 Rugby Championships, planned at short notice and in a tough economic climate for Sanzaar, is in Queensland to cut travel time and costs.
Unfortunately, it has coincided with horrendous weather, not unusual in Queensland at this time of year, which has impacted on the quality of the rugby.
The Junior Boks suffered a surprise 24-19 defeat to Australia in the second round of matches, following an opening day 13-13 draw against
New Zealand.
Both matches were played in torrential rain and gale force gusts, reducing the contests to a lottery with handling almost impossible and luck playing a big part. But the Junior Boks were also the architects of their own downfall against Australia when loosehead prop Mbasa Maqubela dangerously clashed heads with an opponent, which earned him a red card.
Although the competition rules allow for a replacement after a 20-minute punishment with 14 men, the damage was done in that period. A later yellow card for lock Bathobele Hlekani, who collapsed an Aussie maul heading to the Bok line, made the job impossible as it also resulted in the decisive penalty try.
The clash against Australia was catastrophic, ending any chance South Africa had of winning the U20 Rugby Championships after New Zealand thrashed Argentina 43-20 in the other match in round two.
The young Pumas thumped Australia 25-6 in round one, which means the Junior Boks are bottom of the log going into the third and final round on 12 June.
Secondary mission
Although the result against Australia and the fact that New Zealand are almost guaranteed to take the inaugural title will sting, this was not the primary mission for Nhleko and the team.
Many people don’t want to hear that, but the reality is that these matches are an extended trial, with an eye on the World Rugby U20 Championships in June.
South Africa is hosting the tournament in the Western Cape, as it did in 2023, and the mission is to win it on home soil.
After the draw with New Zealand, Nhleko made nine changes for Australia. With three high-level matches crammed into 12 days, as well as the need to expose all players to the intensity needed with an eye on the World Championships, it had to be done.
“This tour is very much about us continuing to grow as a team and part of the planning was to give the whole group playing minutes and experience in a very competitive series,” said Nhleko.
The difficult conditions the teams are enduring might also be beneficial in the long run because last year’s U20 World Championships were played in driving rain and muddy fields, particularly in Paarl.
“It was an opportunity to gain experience in different conditions,”
Nhleko said.