Junior Boks hope Rugby Championship showing sharpens up squad for world title challenge
The new competition will see the South Africans play their counterparts from New Zealand, Australia and Argentina over a 10-day period and will serve as crucial preparation for the World Rugby U20 Championship, which will be played in the Western Cape in June and July.
The Junior Springboks. Picture: @SAJuniorRugby/X
JOHANNESBURG - The Junior Springboks departed for Australia on Wednesday evening where they'll take part in the inaugural SANZAAR Under-20 Rugby Championship on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland next month.
The new competition will see the South Africans play their counterparts from New Zealand, Australia and Argentina over a 10-day period and will serve as crucial preparation for the World Rugby U20 Championship, which will be played in the Western Cape in June and July.
The Junior Boks have often gone into the tournament highly-rated in the past but have performed below fans’ expectations, winning the global event once in 2012, with one runners-up medal in 2014 and nine third place finishes in 13 appearances.
The limited opportunities to have the squad together for an extended period has been a big stumbling block and this year, coach Bafana Nhleko is happy that he gets to spend more time with his team ahead of the World Championship. He says the tournament will help to bridge the gap between themselves and the European teams, who’ve won six of the last eight titles.
"We’re excited about the tournament and we’re grateful that SANZAAR, as the mother body, have found a solution to make it happen. It’s the first of its kind and it’ll bring us closer to the Six Nations teams, but the reality is, they’re probably still slightly ahead. That being said, we’ve got the opportunity now to go to the World Champs battle ready," Nhleko said.
The squad of 31 has five returning players from last year’s group, including prop Zachary Porthen, lock JF van Heerden, scrum-half Asad Moos, and centres Jurenzo Julius and Litelihle Bester. While it is part of their learning and development process, Nhleko understands that producing results against their southern hemisphere opponents is just as important.
"It is important that we perform, it is important that we test our systems. But it’s also important for the players to understand that they are going to make mistakes. We might sacrifice here and there because we are trying combinations, but that is part of growth," said Nhleko.
The Junior Boks kick-off their tournament Down Under with a game against New Zealand on 2 May, followed by hosts Australia on 7 May and a final match against Argentina on 10 May before returning home on 14 May.
Junior Springbok squad for the U20 Rugby Championship:
Forwards:
Props: Casper Badenhorst (Bulls), Liyema Ntshanga (Cheetahs), Mbasa Maqubela (Bulls), Reno Hirst (Lions), Ruan Swart (Bulls), Zachary Porthen (Western Province).
Hookers: CJ Erasmus (Western Province), Ethan Bester (Sharks), Juan Smal (Bulls).
Locks: Adam de Waal (Western Province), JF van Heerden (Bulls), Thomas Dyer (Sharks).
Loose forwards: Bathobele Hlekani (Sharks), Divan Fuller (Western Province), Keanu Coetsee (Bulls), Sibabalwe Mahashe (Lions), Thabang Mphafi (Lions), Tiaan Jacobs (Biarritz, France).
Backs:
Scrumhalves: Asad Moos (Western Province), Ezekiel Ngubane (Western Province), Hassiem Pead (Lions).
Flyhalves: Thurlon Williams (Lions), Tylor Sefoor (Cheetahs).
Centres: Bruce Sherwood (Western Province), Joshua Boulle (Western Province), Jurenzo Julius (Sharks), Litelihle Bester (Sharks), Philip-Albert van Niekerk (Bulls).
Outside backs: JC Mars (Western Province), Joel Leotlela (Western Province / SA Sevens contracted), Michail Damon (Bulls).