Junior Springboks overturn 8-point deficit to rout 14-man England 53-37 and reach Junior World Championship final

Khuthadzo Rasivhaga scored a hat-trick as the Junior Springboks overturned an eight-point half-time deficit to demolish 14-man England 53-37 in Tbilisi, Georgia, booking their place in the World Rugby Junior World Championship final against France.

England were reduced to 14 men when Sale Sharks openside flanker Seb Kelly was shown a straight red card for head-butting Luan Giliomee on the floor — a dismissal that proved the turning point of the match. Within seconds of Kelly leaving the pitch, fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed launched a crossfield kick that found an unmarked Rasivhaga, and from that moment England never recovered.

England had actually started brightly. Ollie Steeter opened the scoring with a fourth-minute pick-and-go, converted by Hugh Shields, before Ahmed levelled. Shields then kicked a penalty and finished from close range to give England a 20-12 lead at the break.

The second half, however, belonged entirely to South Africa. Rasivhaga grabbed his second try in the 43rd minute after Giliomee drew the last defender, and four minutes later Kebotile Maake went into the corner — then added a second shortly after — with Ahmed converting both. Rasivhaga completed his hat-trick in the 53rd minute, and Luke Cannon extended the lead further after an hour as South Africa ran up 28 unanswered points.

Ahmed brought up the half-century with a penalty before South Africa themselves were reduced to 14 men, Giliomee receiving a red card for a careless aerial challenge on George Pearson. Giliomee now faces missing the final. Shields chipped away with two penalties and a late second try to finish with 22 points, but England’s fate was long since sealed.

In the other semi-final, France edged New Zealand 26-22, with Adrien Drault’s 76th-minute try proving the difference to secure their place in the final. England will face New Zealand in the third-place play-off.

Elsewhere, Ireland defeated Fiji 24-19 in the ninth-place semi-final, with Daniel Green converting tries from James O’Leary, Daniel Ryan and Diarmaid O’Connell and adding a penalty. Fiji continue to wait for their first win in 14 years at the tournament.