New Zealand U20 score in dying minutes to draw with South Africa U20

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. Territory tended to favour the young men in black, especially with the wind blowing from behind the Kiwis in the first half.

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. Territory tended to favour the young men in black, especially with the wind blowing from behind the Kiwis in the first half.

Read more about New Zealand U20 score in South Africa U20

At that moment, Isaac Hutchinson, the impressive fullback from New Zealand, took the ball and scored the game's opening points. Before becoming the first player to score in this new league, the young man had already shown himself to be the most dangerous player in New Zealand when he had the ball in his hands.

While the wind benefited the South Africans, the Kiwis continued to dominate the territory battle and applied pressure to their opponents. The second half began with a fast-paced offensive sequence from New Zealand.

The set piece was still uneven after 14 minutes into the second half, but both teams were getting more comfortable with the slightly less sodden surface and the game.

When New Zealand's backup first five-eighth was used, play broke out. Left winger Stanley Solomon was waiting for Rico Simpson's floating long ball, which he could have finished in the corner with his speed. The attempt was unsuccessful.

But when they pushed deep into the New Zealand half, the South African team found their offensive ambitions paying off. Three points were awarded for that progress, but more points would soon be added.

Right-winger Joel Leotlela completed a spectacular sequence of play that saw the South Africans slip past several Kiwi defenders offload after offload. After a successful convert, the South Africans won 10–8.