KEY POINTS:
New Zealand blew away a powerful South African side 31-7 with fast-paced, high intensity rugby to win the world under-19 championship in Belfast today.
Such was their class in the final that the 11,000 crowd at Ravenhill gave the team a long standing ovation at the end of
the match.
With a sharp, attacking 15-man game, the young New Zealanders scored five tries to one and made South Africa look like a lower division side, particularly in the first half.
They added accuracy to a frenetically paced final, stunning the South Africans with two high-speed tries to Robert Fruean and fullback Trent Renata in the first eight minutes. Both were results of backs and forwards running angles at speed.
South Africa, with a size advantage all over the ground, never recovered.
Renata scored 16 points from two tries and three conversions.
"I know everyone's saying how great their (NZ) attacking was, to me it was their defence that was impressive. I think that took us through the tournament," coach Kieran Crowley said.
The sole try conceded by New Zealand in the final was only the fourth scored against the unbeaten side.
New Zealand added a third try, by winger Kade Poki, despite losing second five-eighth Ryan Crotty with a broken leg and Fruean to the sinbin for a late swinging arm tackle, to lead 17-0 at halftime.
Renata and Crotty's replacement Jackson Willison scored in the second half.
New Zealand's leadup work and swift execution even drew praise from South African coach Eric Sauls.
"New Zealand are a brilliant team and if you allow them space and time they will punish you," he said.
"It is difficult to play against a team that has so much talent right across the team. They have running pace, they come hard onto the ball and you have to cover it. If you do not, you will have difficulty stopping them and we did tonight."
Crowley said his team maintained their structure throughout the final.
"If you get dominance early, you keep it on the throat and things come. We were probably a little guilty in previous games of taking the foot off the throttle and letting other teams get back into it," he said.
"Tonight we kept the pressure on and it stood us in good stead. Getting the third try with a man down was important, but it was our defence that made that with a turnover. The boys really dug deep in that 10-minute period."
Crowley said Crotty's leg was in plaster but he was cheerful and had joined the rest of the team to celebrate the victory.
New Zealand captain Chris Smith said the win made up for last year's loss to Australia in the final.
"It means a lot to be the captain of the World Cup winning side. I was on a losing side last year and know what that felt like, and it was an experience I wanted to forget," he said.
New Zealand U19 31 (Trent Renata 2, Robert Fruean, Kade Poki, Jackson Willison tries; Renata 3 con), South Africa U19 7 (Yaasir Hartzenberg try; Stefan Watermeyer con). Halftime: 17-0.
- NZPA
