SA sporting prodigy to captain U20's

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former SA Under-18 lock and national age-group cricketer Riley Norton will captain the Junior Springboks against Argentina in the opening round of the Rugby Championship Under-20 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Thursday.

This clash, which kicks off at 16h10, is the second match of a double-header at the stadium. The encounter will be preceded by the match between the defending champions, New Zealand, and Australia, which will open the tournament at 14h00.

Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote has selected an exciting match-23 for the clash with the Pumitas, who gave their SA U20 counterparts a tough time last year in the inaugural tournament staged in Australia.

The Junior Bok starting fifteen includes the likes of Norton, Wandile Mlaba, a member of last year’s Junior Bok squad, and the 2024 SA Schools and SA U18 captain, Sethu Mnebelele, amongst the forwards.

The backs feature exciting players such as Blitzbok Gino Cupido and Cheswill Jooste on the wings and Kyle Smith at flyhalf. Utility forward Batho Hlekani and outside back JC Mars are amongst the replacements who are expected to make an impact off the bench.

Foote said his team had a good time preparing for the opening clash in the Friendly City.

“The weather is great, and our hosts have been fantastic, which has given us a lot of energy in our training,” said Foote.

“What stands out for me is the intent and joy of the players; the smiles on their faces tell me they are confident, excited, and see this opportunity to represent our country as a huge privilege.”

The Junior Bok coach added that the eagerness and competition amongst squad members made selection a tough exercise.

“Our squad selection for this first game was difficult because there are so many talented guys, which speaks volumes about our depth,” said Foote.

“We’ve decided on a more settled pack – there’s only one change in the pack from our last training match against Hamilton’s, with our captain, Riley Norton, coming into the starting lineup after a slight injury.”

According to Foote, this shows the forwards have momentum, and he mentioned the synergy they showed against Hamilton’s will give them a good platform upfront, while the backs also excite the coach.

“Amongst our backs, we have welcomed back Haashim Pead at scrumhalf with his experience,” said Foote. “Like Riley, he also had a niggle, which is why he didn’t play in the last training match. There’s also Gino, who comes into the squad after making his Blitzbok debut recently, and JC Mars is also included.”

Foote said they are aware of the huge challenge against the strong South American group: “We’ve done our homework and know what Argentina is going to bring to the game. We understand and respect their passion, and they are also looking forward to this opportunity to play for their country. We have a lot of respect for the Argentinians around their contact and set play, and we are looking forward to playing against them.

“Speaking on behalf of the players and the staff, we are proud to wear the Springbok on our hearts and represent this country. We are hoping for a great crowd and to play an exciting brand of rugby that represents South Africa,” added Foote.

Junior Springboks: 15 Gilermo Mentoe, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 Demitre Erasmus, 12 Albie Bester, 11 Gino Cupido, 10 Kyle Smith, 9 Haashim Pead, 8 Wandile Mlaba, 7 Matt Romao, 6 Thando Biyela, 5 JJ Theron, 4 Riley Norton (captain), 3 Simphiwe Ngobese, 2 Sethu Mnebelele, 1 Oliver Reid
Replacements: 16 Juandré Erasmus, 17 Ranon Fouché, 18 JD Erasmus, 19 Morné Visser, 20 Batho Hlekani, 21 Ceano Everson, 22 Vusi Moyo, 23 JC Mars