Flyhalf Luan Giliomee scored 11 points as the Junior Springboks beat hosts Georgia with a bonus-point win in round two of the Junior World Championship on Thursday.
The Junior Boks led 12-5 at the break with the hosts down to 14 players, with Giliomee kicking three conversions to go with his second-half try in a hard-fought 33-5 victory for the defending champions in Tbilisi.
Kevin Foote’s young men ran in 16 tries in a 104-7 demolition of Uruguay in their opening round clash, and will face Wales in their final Pool A match next Tuesday.
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On Thursday, the Georgians struck early at the Avchala Stadium when right wing Luka Tabatadze finished a slick lineout move for a 5-0 lead.
The hosts brought fearlessness and physicality to the contact area, flooding breakdowns and forcing a string of turnovers.
The Junior Boks needed a period to settle, Giliomee briefly forced off for a blood injury to his head before returning heavily strapped.
Skipper and hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele supplied the response, barging over from close range to level matters, then finishing off a rolling maul to put his troops ahead for the first time. Giliomee’s conversion made it 12-5.
Georgia’s night worsened before the interval when tighthead prop Levani Ezieshvili was shown yellow for a high tackle on Giliomee, who left the field for an HIA.
Ezieshvili’s yellow was upgraded to a 20-minute red before kick-off of the second stanza, then Tabatadze was sin-binned for a deliberate knockdown inside the first minute. Down to 13, the home side had no answer after their promising start to the match.
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Right winger Cheswill Jooste stretched the Junior Boks’ lead in the 53rd minute, gathering a Giliomee cross-kick and finishing with a goose-step and turn of pace.
Georgia scrumhalf Daviti Tsiklauri was sent to the naughty chair for 10 minutes soon after for repeated team infringements, and the South Africans capitalised.
Giliomee snapped up a quick tap to score and convert his own try, securing the bonus point at 26-5, with industrious No 7 Luke Cannon completing the rout late on.
JUNIOR SPRINGBOKS – Tries: Siphosethu Mnebelele (2), Cheswill Jooste, Luan Giliomee, Luke Cannon. Conversions: Giliomee (3), Alzeadon Felix.
GEORGIA – Try: Luka Tabatadze.
Photo: @SAJuniorRugby/X
The post Giliomee stars as Junior Boks skin Georgia appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Flyhalf Luan Giliomee scored 11 points as the Junior Springboks beat hosts Georgia with a bonus-point win in round two of the Junior World Championship on Thursday.
The post Giliomee stars as Junior Boks skin Georgia appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
