Rassie Erasmus says there are positives to take from the Junior Springboks’ U20 Championship campaign, which saw them finish third.

After a disappointing semi-final loss to England, the Junior Boks scored four unanswered second-half tries to beat New Zealand in the third-place playoff.

HIGHLIGHTS: Junior Boks vs New Zealand

‘It is great that they beat the Baby Blacks and it is great that they beat England on their [pre-season] tour,’ Erasmus said on Monday. ‘They got shocked by the French intensity [in the pool stage], but they came back in the second half.

‘The word is out there that they were really conservative in the semi-final and it definitely looked like that. Then again, if you talk to them about those conditions and how windy it was, it makes more sense when you listen to what they were trying to do.

‘They showed us last night that they can play with freedom and we beat them [New Zealand] properly. It is not nice to be third, but the Baby Blacks also have a lot to work on.

‘There are some positive signs, great players there and a good future for South African rugby,’ Erasmus added.

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