New Zealand U20 score in dying minutes to draw with South Africa U20

An hour and a half before the first-ever The Rugby Championship U20 match kicked off, Sunshine Coast Stadium staff were out on the field with leaf blowers and brooms trying to shift the many, many puddles draped across the field.

The “Sunshine Coast” had provided some substandard conditions for the momentous occasion, but as the teams walked out past the large, shiny trophy, the rain relented.

It would end up being a classically tight test between the two famous rivals, with a scoring burst in the third quarter handing South Africa a slim lead that was matched with 90 seconds to go.

The challenge the conditions would pose was evident from the kickoff, with the drop kick barely making it off the grass leading to a wobbly kick that floated the way of New Zealand’s Liam Jack.

It was New Zealand who won a penalty on the opening scrum but the Kiwis lost their first lineout with a wayward throw pulled up by the referee.

Water sprayed off the pitch with every step and each catch took some concentration, leading to plenty of kicks. With the wind behind the Kiwis in the first half, territory tended to favour the young men in black.

South Africa dislodged the ball in defence a couple of times and when play broke down, the teams looked to attack but a lack of traction made that a tall task.

New Zealand’s ill-discipline around the ruck saw them penalised a few times but the touch-finding kicks from South Africa only made it so far up the sideline.

As the half-hour mark neared, the scores were still tied, but with the conditions on New Zealand’s side in the first half, that scoreline would have to be considered a win for the South Africans if it were to remain that way when the half-time whistle was blown.

That’s when New Zealand’s Impressive fullback Isaac Hutchinson stepped up to the tee and secured the first points of the game. The youngster had proven to be New Zealand’s most dangerous player with the ball in hand with his early touches prior to becoming the first player to score points in this new competition.

While New Zealand continued to claim strong field position, their poor lineout execution and South Africa’s defence saw chance after chance go begging.

A penalty attempt in near identical position to the first one went New Zealand’s way to end the half but after the ball fell over in the wind, Hutchinson reset and sliced it right. That left the South Africans in just a 3-0 deficit at halftime.

Halftime saw the brooms come out once again as puddles were dispersed. The rain was yet to make an appearance during play.

The second half started with a fast-paced attacking sequence from New Zealand, and while the wind favoured the South Africans, it was the Kiwis who continued to win the territory battle, keeping pressure on their opponents.

14 minutes into the second period the set piece continued to be a mixed bag but both teams were growing into the game and enjoying a slightly less sodden field.

Play broke open when New Zealand’s reserve first five-eighth Rico Simpson delivered a floating long ball to the waiting arms of left winger Stanley Solomon who had the pace to finish in the corner. The try went unconverted.

This however sparked the South African team to life and some attacking ambition proved profitable as they pressed deep into the New Zealand half. That advance was rewarded with three points but it wouldn’t be long before they added some more.

Slipping through a number of Kiwi defenders, offload after offload the South Africans pulled together a remarkable passage of play that was finished by right-winger Joel Leotlela. A successful conversion made it 10-8 in favour of the South Africans.

The momentum continued as South Africa pressed deep into New Zealand territory once more, utilising the wind and their renewed confidence. New Zealand struggled with the pace and power of the South African surge and conceded another penalty, leading to the lead being extended to 13-8.

Another penalty attempt went ary with 10 minutes to go, leaving New Zealand with a chance. That proved to be just the break the Kiwis needed and Solomon found space down the left wing, covering 60 metres before offloading. The play ended in a yellow card for reserve South African lock JF Van Heerden after a cross-field kick was dropped right on the try line by Kiwi winger Frank Vaenuku.

Play remained deep in the South African half in the dying minutes, and with just 90 seconds remaining Vaenuku made amends for his dropped ball minutes earlier by collecting the ball wide and scoring in the corner.

Play would resume following the conversion attempt, but Simpson pushed it wide leaving the game tied.

72 seconds of frantic play followed but neither team could break the deadlock and South Africa ultimately decided to bring the game to a close. Fulltime score 13-13.