Junior Boks bring in experience

The 50-man squad have been named on Tuesday, February 28 as their preparations begin to take shape for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Georgia from May 31 to June 18.

Bosch and Davids are among nine players who participated in the tournament in Manchester last year, where the Junior Springboks finished in fourth place, while Moerat is one of six SA Schools team players from 2016 in the training squad.

Stedman Gans, Manie Libbok, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Embrose Papier, Cobus Wiese, Ruben de Villiers, Ernst van Rhyn and Carlu Sadie played for the Junior Boks with Bosch and Davids in 2016.

Moerat, who captained the SA Schools side last year, will be joined by his 2016 teammates Gianni Lombard, Manuel Rass, Wandisile Simelane, Damian Willemse and Muller Uys.

A total of 86 players were invited to two assessment camps last month in Pretoria and Stellenbosch, where the players participated in a series of speed and strength tests and underwent medical screening. The first training camp will be in Stellenbosch from March 5 to 17, whereafter the squad will be trimmed down to 28 players in April for the international showpiece, which kicks off in May.

"This is a talented group of players, and we can’t wait to start the real hard work in the lead-up to the World Rugby U20 Championship," said Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux.

"The players who were selected really worked hard, which is very pleasing. They were aware of the fitness and strength standards required at this level of the game at the conclusion of the assessment camps, and we are proud of the work they put in to achieve that.

"But that was only the first step in what will be a mentally and physically challenging journey to possibly secure a place in the final 28-man squad.

"Over the next two months we will be working hard to put our structures and systems in place and to reach the desired fitness and strength requirements we would like to achieve as a team.

"We have exactly three months to get the team ready before their opening match, which is not much time, especially if one considers that the U20 Six Nations teams are at an advanced stage of their season. But that said, we are excited about the challenge ahead and we believe the players will be up for it,"

The camp will be followed by a tour to the central unions from March 26 to April 9, which will feature warm-up matches against the Griffons in Welkom on Friday, March 31, Griquas in Kimberley on Wednesday, April 5 and Free State on Saturday, April 8.

The Junior Springboks will play another two further warm-up matches, against the Varsity Cup Dream Team on Tuesday,  April 25, and Western Province on Tuesday, May 9, in Stellenbosch during their third training camp, which runs from April 18 to May 12. They will conclude their preparations for the tournament with a holding camp in Stellenbosch from May 21 to 25.  

Junior Springbok training squad:

Props: Kwenzo Blose (Free State Cheetahs), Wikus Groenewald (Western Province), Leo Kruger (Golden Lions), Andrew Kuhn (Free State Cheetahs), Lee-Marvin Mazibuko (Western Province), Khutu Mchunu (Sharks), Mashao Mukhari (Blue Bulls), Carlu Sadie (Western Province), Gerhard Steenekamp (Blue Bulls), Abram Venter (Free State Cheetahs).

Hookers: Abraham Coetzee  (Free State Cheetahs), Johan Grobbelaar (Blue Bulls), Marnus van der Merwe  (Free State Cheetahs), HP van Schoor (Golden Lions).

Locks: Ruben de Villers (Western Province), Salmaan Moerat (Western Province), Reinhard Nothnagel (Golden Lions), Hendre Stassen (Blue Bulls), Ruben van Heerden (Blue Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Western Province).

Loose forwards: Juarno Augustus (Western Province), Jaco Bezuidenhout (Blue Bulls), Hacjivah Dayimani (Golden Lions), Zain Davids (Western Province), Eduan Lubbe (Blue Bulls), Len Massyn (Golden Lions), Kuyenzeka Xaba (Western Province), Muller Uys (Western Province), Ernst van Rhyn (Western Province).

Scrumhalves: Francois de Villiers (Sharks), Embrose Papier ( Blue Bulls), Bradley Thain (Golden Lions), Wayne van der Bank (Golden Lions), Jondre Williams (Western Province).

Flyhalves: Curwin Bosch (Sharks), Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Sharks), Manie Libbok (Blue Bulls), Damian Willemse (Western Province).

Centres: Irvin Ali (Blue Bulls), Heino Bezuidenhout (Blue Bulls), Stedman Gans (Blue Bulls), Manuel Rass (Golden Lions), Wandisile Simelane (Golden Lions), Cornel Smit (Western Province).

Wings: Ciaran Dayaram (Blue Bulls), Ilunga Mukendi (Sharks), Mfundo Ndhlovu (Sharks), Michael Tambwe (Golden Lions).

Fullbacks: Gianni Lombard (Golden Lions), Yaw Penxe (EP Kings)