As the World Rugby Under-20 Championship kicks off this Saturday, the Junior Springboks are leaving no stone unturned in their preparation for the opening encounter against Fiji at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
The South African U20 side, under the guidance of assistant coach Lumumba Currie, has relocated to their official tournament base in Cape Town from Stellenbosch.
Speaking to local media shortly after the team checked into their tournament hotel, Currie emphasized the team’s commitment to fine-tuning their preparations for the clash with Fiji.
“We’ve been together for four weeks now, and the guys are looking sharp in camp. We’ve had a couple of training games against the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport Rugby Institute (Sasri), which was a good thing for us as we needed to get that contact fitness,” said Currie.
The past weekend saw the team engage in a workout against New Zealand at the Sanlam Boland Stadium in Wellington, a session that proved invaluable for the upcoming competition.
“That will give us a better fighting chance in the competition because we played three international matches in the recently staged U20 Rugby Championship, which is something we never had before. If you keep in mind the European teams would have a Six Nations under their belt before arriving here,” Currie noted.
Fiji, known for their physicality and skill, will present a formidable challenge. The Fijian side consists of players who have honed their skills in the Pacific and New Zealand U20 competitions, making them battle-hardened and well-combined.
Acknowledging this, Currie mentioned, “Fiji have been playing together for a while now and participated in the NZU20 competition, which means that they’ve spent time together, which should give them confidence.”
Currie is confident that the current Junior Bok squad is in a much better state of preparedness compared to last year’s team, who did not have the luxury of playing three quality Test matches in Queensland.
“I must be honest, we are better off than where we were last year this time, when we were still trying to find our feet at this stage. Then most of our players made their debut against Georgia in the first game of the World Championship,” he said. Currie highlighted the importance of reducing errors and improving execution in both attack and defense, crucial lessons learned from the Rugby Championship.
The Junior Springboks have selected their best available match squad for the challenging opening match on Saturday evening.
Three uncapped players have been included in the squad: hooker Luca Bakkes, flyhalf Liam Koen, and outside back Likhona Finca.
Bakkes will make his run-on debut in the front row between props Ruan Swart and Zachary Porthen, the Junior Bok captain. Finca is set to debut off the bench, while Koen will wear the No. 10 jersey.
The rest of the Junior Boks squad has a settled look, comprising players who participated in the recent SANZAAR Under-20 Rugby Championship in Queensland, Australia.
The starting lineup sees five changes and a positional switch from the side that beat Argentina in the last Rugby Championship match at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland, with several tweaks among the reserves.
In addition to Bakkes’ inclusion in the front row, there is a change at No. 4 lock, with Thomas Dyer sitting out due to a niggle.
The versatile Bathobele Hlekani moves from the side of the scrum to form the lock partnership with JF van Heerden.
Thabang Mphafi, who played off the bench against Argentina U20s, fills Hlekani’s position at No. 7 flank, joining Siba Mahashe (No. 6) and Tiaan Jacobs (No. 8) in the loose forward trio.
Liam Koen debuts as the playmaker, partnering with scrumhalf Asad Moos in a new-look halfback pairing. The only other backline change sees Michail Damon in the fullback position, replacing Bruce Sherwood.
The squad has also made three replacements due to recent injuries. Prop Reno Hirst, lock Adam de Waal, and fullback JC Marsh will miss the Championship through injury.
Hirst hurt his knee, De Waal is out with a hip injury, and Marsh will miss at least the first two matches due to a concussion. Their replacements are Herman Lubbe (prop, DHL WP), Jaco Grobbelaar (lock, Vodacom Bulls), and Hassiem Pead (fullback, DHL WP).
With preparations complete, the Junior Springboks are ready to showcase their skills and determination in their opening match against Fiji, setting the stage for an exciting World Rugby Under-20 Championship.
