'We have 80 minutes left' - Junior Boks embrace final hurdle in title defence
SPOTLIGHT: Junior Springbok captain Siphosethu Mnebele and flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed have lauded the team’s environment and work ethic on the eve of their Junior World Championship Final against France Under-20 on Saturday evening in Tbilisi.
The Final – in which the Junior Boks will aim to defend the title they won last year against New Zealand in Italy – kicks off at 18.30 SAST.
For Mnebelele, the message on the eve of the JWC decider is simple: “We are well prepared for the final match, and we are all excited to represent South Africa in the Final.”
The Junior Bok hooker, who is playing in his second JWC, echoed the sentiment of SA U20 coach Kevin Foote by stating that the players have kept their attention firmly on the task at hand.
“This is a new group, essentially, and our focus is only on the game and nothing else,” said Mnebelele.
“Our focus is to be ready to take on a very good French side who have demonstrated their abilities by reaching the Final.”
Throughout the tournament, the players have spoken repeatedly about growth, collective effort and remaining present in every challenge, and Ahmed pointed to the welcoming team environment and work ethic as a key factor behind the team’s march to the Final.
“Our coaching staff and medical team have been awesome in preparing us, not only for this match, but for the entire time that we’ve been together,” the Junior Bok flyhalf said.
“They make it a really good environment for us, and all the boys are so focused and disciplined in their preparation and recovery.”
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More than anything, Ahmed believes the strength of the squad lies in its unity and love to play for South Africa: “It is really a team effort every day that we spend together. Those who are not in the team help the coaches prepare the guys who are playing.
“We motivate and push each other, and we keep learning and improving with each session, whether that’s a training session or a technical meeting.
“We have 80 minutes left of this campaign, and we will give it our absolute best. Personally, I’m very grateful to be here as part of this group representing our country and the Junior Boks.”
It was also confirmed that the Junior Boks will wear black armbands on Saturday as a mark of respect and remembrance for former SA Under-18 prop Luqobo Makwedini, who passed away on July 10 at the end of a training session with his French club, AS Béziers Hérault.
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