Junior Springboks coach Bafana Nhleko says their tournament is not yet over, after losing 31-12 to Ireland in the semifinal of the World Rugby U20 Championship.
Not to be for the #JuniorBoks today!
— Junior Springboks (@JuniorBoks) July 9, 2023
Congratulations to Ireland on their victory at Athlone Stadium 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wpEqOi8wti
The South African hosts fell completely flat in the second half against the Irish and now have to face England in the third-place playoffs, with Ireland tackling France in the final at Athlone Stadium on Friday.
Nhleko says: “It was a disappointing result for us, especially given the way we started the first half…
“The review will show us where we came up short, but because of the nature of the tournament, we will need to move on from this defeat – the focus will now shift to England and the bronze final. We still have a medal to win.”
He adds: “We seem to battle to get past the semifinals over the years, but it is not over yet.
“We are still in the competition with something to gain and that is where we are heading now with our preparation.”