Staff members from Sunshine Coast Stadium were on the pitch with leaf blowers and brooms an hour and a half before the inaugural Rugby Championship U20 match began, attempting to clear the numerous puddles that covered the pitch. The "Sunshine Coast" had delivered some less than ideal weather for the historic event, but the rain stopped as the teams passed the big, gleaming trophy. With 90 seconds remaining, South Africa had a narrow lead thanks to a scoring spurt in the third quarter, setting up a historically close test between the two well-known rivals. The kickoff demonstrated the difficulty of the conditions; the drop kick hardly cleared the turf, resulting in a shaky kick that drifted into the path of Liam Jack of New Zealand. During the first scrum, New Zealand was awarded a penalty; however, a misdirected throw by the referee cost the Kiwis their first lineout. Every step sent water spraying off the pitch, and each catch required focus, resulting in a lot of kicks
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