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THE next generation of Springbok players showed plenty of grit in their 40-0 victory over Zimbabwe on Saturday afternoon, and that has South Africa 'A' coach Mzandile Stick smiling.
While he lamented some errors that prevented them from posting an even bigger scoreline, the defensive effort pleased him as they kept the Rugby World Cup-bound Sables scoreless for the full 80 minutes.
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They scored six tries en route to the win, and their overall performance, despite a few hiccups, has Stick excited about the future of South African rugby.
Flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed dazzled with a strong display on attack and defence. He scored a brilliant solo try, but an unfortunate red card brought an early end to his afternoon. Winger Zekhethelo Siyaya also had the Sables' defence grasping at thin air at times, but a head knock forced him off before half-time.
Stick was impressed by the duo and, ahead of their World Rugby U20 Championship campaign, wished them and the Junior Springboks well.
"Siyaya was injured by his teammate and lost some network there," Stick said.
"Even after the game, he was not sure where he was. He is still alive and moved around in the changeroom, but he was still in Disneyland. With Yaqeen, it was a red card, and we must respect the match official's calls.
"It is a young kid getting something wrong, and we have to keep the game clean. He took a player out in the air, which we don't want in our systems. He was just unfortunate in that situation. But he is okay. Yaqeen had some excellent touches on the field; he is only 19.
"From my side, the cards were disappointing, but the players will learn. As long as we learn and improve."
According to Stick, they knew it would be a significant challenge, especially with the squad having spent such a short time together. He also credited Zimbabwe for their approach to the match and the way they tested the SA 'A' defence.
He added that the game was almost like Test-match rugby and would stand the players in good stead going forward.
"It was all about controlling the game for us, like we were playing a Test, and to see how my game drivers would handle things. Yes, sometimes it is frustrating not getting the points. We were unlucky in the first half with two tries disallowed.
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"Those points didn't show on the scoreboard, but the guys stayed in the fight when Zim put us under pressure. But we managed to keep a clean sheet. Some youngsters took their opportunities and put their hand up."
