Wynberg Boys alum Yaqeen Ahmed scored eleven of the Junior Boks’ 16 points. Kevin Foote’s charges became the first South African U20 side in history to win back-to-back Junior World Championship titles.

Ahmed, who has joined the Stormers earlier this year, slotted two penalty goals in the first half to take the Boks to a 6-0 lead at half-time. But France scored the first try of the match in the second half when flanker Raphael Audebert went over the whitewash.

Replacement centre Samuel Badenhorst was denied a try in the 57th minute after the TMO called play back for a foot in touch during the buildup.

But the Bokkies kept pressing until centre Markus Muller scored in the 67th minute, and Ahmed added the extras to give the Junior Boks an eight-point lead.

The Junior Boks had two further tries chalked off in the closing stages – by Cheswill Jooste and Ahmed – but eventually were awarded a penalty in the final moments. Ahmed made no mistake and secured the 16-5 win.

The win has extended the Junior Boks’ unbeaten run to 18 matches, a run that began at the 2025 Junior World Championship in Italy.

Scorers:

Junior Springboks 16 (6) – Try: Markus Muller. Conversion: Yaqeen Ahmed. Penalty goals: Ahmed (3).

France U20 5 (0) – Try: Raphael Audebert.

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger