Junior Boks mix it up for Fiji
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has once more made a number of rotational and injury-enforced changes to his match-23 for the second round of the Under-20 International Series against Fiji on Tuesday at Wynberg Boys’ High School in Cape Town.
The match kicks off at 15.00 (SAST) and will be preceded by the encounter between Chile and Georgia at 13.00.
Following their emphatic 97-0 victory over Chile in the opening round at Rondebosch Boys’ High School last Thursday, Foote was forced to make a few adjustments to his pack due to minor injuries.
*Also read: Foote hails junior pathway system following Chile demolition job
Loose forwards Risima Khosa, who captained the side with distinction against Chile, and Vuyo Gwiji have been ruled out.
They are replaced in the starting line-up by Quintin Potgieter and Luke Cannon, with Luan Olivier coming onto the replacements bench.
Apart from the injury-enforced absence of the two loose forwards, the starting pack remains largely unchanged, while flyhalf Vusi Moyo takes over the captaincy.
On the bench, a foot niggle has ruled Kai Pratt (prop) out of contention for the Wynberg clash, with Oliver Reid named amongst the replacements for the Fiji match.
There are also a few rotational changes among the backs. Jordan Steenkamp replaces Lindsey Jansen at left wing, while fit-again midfielder Christian Vorster is preferred at outside centre, where he partners Pieter van der Merwe.
BlitzBok Luan Giliomee returns at fullback, with Alzeadon Felix now providing cover from the bench.
The squad continued with their preparations over the weekend and concluded their match readiness with a captain’s run in Stellenbosch on Monday morning.
Foote said the changes were in line with their broader squad management approach: “We said from the outset that we will use this tournament to give playing opportunities to those who did not feature regularly in the recent U20 Rugby Championship, and our rotational decisions are based on that.”
Fiji were beaten by Georgia in their opening match despite a promising first-half display, and Foote expects a good challenge from the South Pacific side.
“We all know the Fijians are dangerous with ball in hand; they have excellent ball and offload skills and can hurt you from turnover possession,” said Foote.
“Our task will be to stick to our fundamentals, trust our set piece and kicking game, and be very solid on defence.”
Foote also welcomed the return of several players from injury.
“Luan, Christian, and Pieter [who returned last week] worked hard to get back from injury.
“Their teams did an excellent job in getting them back into match-ready condition, for which we are very grateful, and we are excited to see them in action again.”
Junior Springboks: 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Jade Muller, 13 Christian Vorster, 12 Pieter van der Merwe, 11 Jordan Steenkamp, 10 Vusi Moyo (captain), 9 Jayden Brits, 8 Luke Cannon, 7 Gert Kemp, 6 Quintin Potgieter, 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Jaythen Orange, 3 Luan van der Berg, 2 Mahle Sithole, 1 Jordan Jooste
Replacements: 16 Altus Rabe, 17 Oliver Reid, 18 Bongani Dlamini, 19 Thomas Beling, 20 Luan Olivier, 21 Jandrian Goosen, 22 Alzeadon Felix, 23 Akhahluwa Boqwana
Date: Tuesday, May 26
Venue: Wynberg Boys’ High School
Kick-off: 15.00 SAST (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Dylen November
Assistant referees: Local
TMO: Egon Seconds
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