Junior Springboks coach Chean Roux praised his team’s attitude and character after claiming a bonus-point victory over Scotland in Tuesday’s U20 Championship opener.

SA U20 scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse was in fine form and scored two tries, three conversions and a penalty goal for a personal tally of 19 points. But it was essentially an effective team display that steered the Junior Boks to victory, as they scored six tries to two, while the Scots were also awarded a penalty try.

Following the victory, Roux said that while it felt good to make an excellent start to their campaign, there was still plenty to work on before their next two fixtures against Georgia and New Zealand.

‘It is great to start the competition with a bonus-point win,’ Roux said. ‘We knew it was going to be tough in the beginning, but our game plan was to chip away and work at it, and we scored a couple of tries late in the match. The replacements deserve credit as well, they made a big difference when they came on.

‘I am pleased with the way the team built an innings. The players need to realise this is Test match rugby, not school rugby, and they need to take the points when the opportunities arise.

‘That said, the biggest work-on we will take from this match is exactly in that department. We had so many opportunities we didn’t convert, so we have to look at that and see if we can rectify it before the game against Georgia.

‘Our scrummaging went very well today, but we have to work on our lineouts and mauls because that is usually a big aspect of the game at the World Rugby U20 Championship. We also need the players to rest and be ready and hungry for the next game, as it is only one down and four to go.’

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