Junior Boks reveal training squad
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Three capped World Rugby Under-20 Championship players, Rikus Pretorius, David Coetzer and Phendulani Buthelezi, are among 34 players named in a Junior Springbok training squad that will assemble in Stellenbosch next week.
The squad also includes two players who were involved in the Junior Springbok warm-up games last season, namely David Kriel and Nkosikhona Masuku. All five of them were part of the SA Rugby Academy squad that first got together early in February at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport (SAS).
The training camp, which forms part of the SA Rugby Academy programme, will run from Monday, April 1 to Thursday, April 18, and will feature three friendlies as part of the Under 20 International Series. The Junior Boks will face the Argentina and Georgian U20s and a senior Namibian XV.
While Buthelezi and Fezokuhle Mbatha have been included in the squad, they will continue with their Vodacom Super Rugby commitments for the Sharks.
“We have narrowed down the group that we have been working with at the SA Rugby Academy in the last two months because it is easier to work with a smaller squad, but the door remains open for players outside of this group to play their way into contention for places in the squad,” said Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux.
“We have three matches lined up in the U20 International Series and then we will face England and Wales on the Junior Springboks warm-up tour to the UK, so there is still a long way to go before we finalise our World Rugby U20 Championship squad that will travel to Argentina.”
The squad will assemble on Sunday to begin their preparations for their opening match in the U20 International Series against Georgia on Tuesday, April 9. They will face the Argentina U20’s and Namibian XV on Saturday, April 13, and Wednesday, April 17, respectively.
“We are looking forward to these matches because it will be the first real test for the players since the SA Rugby Academy started,” said Roux.
“We had a few training sessions and training games in the last two months, but these matches will expose the players to proper international competition, which will give them a taste of what to expect in Argentina.”
With the team set to play five international friendlies in the lead-up to the World Rugby U20 Championship, Roux believes it would serve as good preparation for his charges going into the international spectacle.
“These matches are vital to prepare the team as well as possible for the challenge they will face in Argentina,” said Roux.
“Apart from exposing the players to the type of competition they will face in the World Rugby U20 Championship, it offers us similar preparation to the Northern Hemisphere teams, who participate in the U20 Six Nations in February and March.
“It will also give us the opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t in terms of our structures, and to ensure that we are on the right track before we depart for Rosario.”
The Junior Springboks will kick off their World Rugby U20 Championship campaign against Scotland on Tuesday, June 4, before taking on Georgia (Saturday, June 8) and New Zealand (Wednesday, June 12) in the pool stages. The semifinals will be contested on Monday, June 17, and the final on Saturday, June 22.
Junior Springbok training squad: Thaakir Abrahams (Sharks), Phendulani Buthelezi (Sharks), David Coetzer (Western Province), Caleb Dingaan (Sharks), Vusile Dlepu (Western Province), Kudzwai Dube (Blue Bulls), Celimpilo Gumede (Sharks), Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Francke Horn (Western Province), Hanro Jacobs (Sharks), Sabastian Jobb (Blue Bulls), Qamani Kota (Blue Bulls), David Kriel (Western Province), Jaco Labuschagne (Blue Bulls), Elrigh Louw (Free State), Nkosikhona Masuku (Golden Lions), Fezokuhle Mbatha (Sharks), Thabiso Mdletshe (Sharks), JJ van der Mescht (Sharks), James Mollentze (Free State), Lunga Ncube (Sharks), Jay Cee Nel (Blue Bulls), Sanele Nohamba (Sharks), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Golden Lions), Marnus Potgieter (Blue Bulls), Rikus Pretorius (Western Province), Dylan Richardson (Sharks), Evan Roos (Sharks), Sibusiso Sangweni (Golden Lions), Janko Swanepoel (Blue Bulls), Emile van Heerden (Sharks), Joe van Zyl (Blue Bulls), Dameon Venter (Golden Lions), Mnombo Zwelendaba (Western Province).
