Power-house centres for Baby Boks

 

EP Kings wing Sergeal Petersen will make his Junior Springbok debut, a year after he missed the previous tournament because of injury.

 

flyhalf Handré Pollard will captain the Junior Boks in a starting fifteen that features the strong-running André Esterhuizen and Jesse Kriel as centre pairing.

 

Kriel and EP Kings number No.8 Aidon Davis are the two vice-captains of the team.

 

Importantly for the South Africans, Pollard and his two vice-captains all have the benefit of previous JWC experience. 

 

Pollard made his debut at the age-grade tournament for the title-winning Junior Boks in 2012 and this is his third JWC tournament in a row.

 

Kriel, Davids and replacement back Rohan Janse van Rensburg were all part of the Junior Boks squad that finished third at the tournament last year in France.

 

Commenting on the team selection and prospects for the game against the Scots, Junior Springbok coach Dawie Theron said: “We are well-prepared and the guys are raring to go.

 

"The players are anxious to get the first game under their belt but it is important that we start well and lay the foundation from the beginning,” cautioned Theron.

 

He added: “Scotland will be hugely motivated and they would want to make a statement against us, so it is important that we impose ourselves and play the way we want to play right from the first whistle.”

 

The Scottish clash is one of three pool matches for the South Africans before the arrival of the crucial knockout stages.

 

The Junior Boks play their second match on June 6 against New Zealand in the same stadium and then complete their pool fixtures on 10 June against Samoa in Pukekohe.

 

South Africa U20: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Lloyd Greeff, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Sergeal Petersen, 10 Handré Pollard (captain), 9 Zee Mkhabela, 8 Aidon Davis, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 4 Abongile Nonkontwana, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Pierre Schoeman.

Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 JD Schickerlin, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 JP Smith, 22 Jean-Luc Du Plessis, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg.