SA U18 ‘A’ clinch nail-biter in U18 Series opener
The SA U18 ‘A’ side scored a nail-biting 32-31 victory over Ireland in the first match of the 2026 Under-18 International Series staged at HS Durbanville, in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, on Friday.
The South Africans led 17-7 at the break after scoring two converted tries as well as penalty goal, while the Irish responded with a converted try.
The SA U18 ‘A’ side increased their lead after the break, but Ireland hit back late and scored three tries in the second half, with hooker Herbie Doyle earning a brace. With minutes left on the clock, Ireland led by 29-28.
However, they failed to keep the determined SA U18 ‘A’ side at bay in the closing stages.
Despite failing with a long-range attempt, replacement flyhalf Travis Pheiffer slotted the match-winning penalty goal minutes later to clinch this exciting encounter by a single point in front of an appreciative crowd on a bright, sunny winters day.
Next up for the SA U18 ‘A’ side is a clash with Georgia U18, next Tuesday, 11 August at Boland Landbou on the outskirts of Wellington.
**Scorers:**
**SA U18 ‘A’ 32 (17) –** Tries: Charl Els, Werner de Bruin, Martin van Niekerk, Amogelang Mataboge. Conversions: Jaydon Viljoen (3). Penalty goals: Viljoen, Travis Pheiffer.
**Ireland U18 31 (7) –** Tries: Herbie Doyle (2), Micheal Smyth, Matthew McCarthy. Conversions: David Nolan (2), Luke Coffey (2). Penalty goal: Coffey.
Source: Original report at SA Rugby.
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