Junior Boks storm to U20 Rugby Championship glory with emphatic win over Australia
by Craig Taylor · KickOffThe Junior Springboks are the 2026 U20 Rugby Championship winners after another brilliant display in which they comprehensively beat Australia 56-17 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Sunday.
The Junior Boks were on the front foot early, and a series of penalties conceded by Australia eventually told when South Africa worked the ball wide for Jack Benade to score his fourth try of the tournament.
Yaqeen Ahmed converted from a difficult angle to put South Africa 7-0 up in the 14th minute.
Things got worse for Australia when they lost Leo Jacques to a yellow card for a head-on-head clash.
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The Junior Boks pushed their lead out to 14-0 in the 21st minute when Khuthadzo Rasivhaga made a brilliant break down the left and, from the resulting ruck, Wasi Vyambwera cantered over without a defender laying a hand on him.
The Junior Boks continued their dominance and were awarded a penalty try for a 21-0 lead in the 25th minute when Australia collapsed a maul. That indiscretion led to another yellow card, this time for lock Isaac Fonua.
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Australia needed something special to get back into the match, and it came from flyhalf Finn Mackay as he sold an inside dummy and floated through a gap to score under the posts to cut South Africa’s lead to 21-7.
South Africa extended their lead to 28-7 when they were awarded a second penalty try, as Taione Taka deliberately slapped the ball down with the Junior Boks just two metres from the line and with a man over.
Australia, with 13 men, showed some deft handling, with Mackay prominent again to put Riley Whitfeld over for an unconverted try as South Africa went into the break 28-12 up.
The Junior Boks got off to the perfect start in the second half with Ethan Adams dancing his way past the Australian defence at pace for a converted try and a 35-12 lead.
Further tries followed from Hendré Schoeman, Luke Cannon, and Ahmed, while Australia scored through Taka as the Junior Boks cantered to an emphatic win.
Scorers
South Africa 56 (28)
Tries: Jack Benade, Wasi Vyambwera, Penalty try (2), Ethan Adams, Hendré Schoeman, Luke Cannon, Yaqeen Ahmed
Conversions: Yaqeen Ahmed (4), Vusi Moyo (2)
Australia 17 (12)
Tries: Finn Mackay, Riley Whitfeld, Taione Taka
Conversion: Finn Mackay