The Junior Springboks have included three uncapped players — hooker Luca Bakkes, flyhalf Liam Koen and outside back Likhona Finca — in their squad for their opening U20 World Championship rugby match against Fiji at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (7pm).
Bakkes will make his run-on debut and packs down in the front row between props Ruan Swart and Zachary Porthen, the Junior Bok captain, while Finca is set to make his debut off the bench should he be sent on as an outside back replacement. Koen will wear the No 10 jersey.
Otherwise, the Junior Boks have a settled look, with the rest of the starting lineup and replacement bench consisting of players who participated in the recent Sanzaar U20 Rugby Championship in Queensland, Australia.
The starting lineup has five changes and a positional switch from the side that beat Argentina in the last Rugby Championship match in Queensland, while there are several tweaks among the reserves.
Besides Bakkes’s inclusion in the front row in place of Juan Smal, there is a change at No 4 lock, with Thomas Dyer sitting out because of a niggle and the versatile Bathobele Hlekani moving from flank to form a partnership with JF van Heerden.
Thabang Mphafi, who played off the bench against Argentina, fills Hlekani’s position at No 7, with Siba Mahashe (No 6) and Tiaan Jacobs (No 8) the other loose forwards.
Koen will partner scrumhalf Asad Moos in a new-look halfback pairing.
The only other backline change sees Michail Damon replacing Bruce Sherwood at fullback.
Junior Bok coach Bafana Nhleko said the team had worked hard over the past week on the lessons from the Rugby Championship and that they were ready to meet the challenge of Fiji on Saturday.
“We had a good holding camp in Stellenbosch last week and since our move to our tournament base in Green Point on Tuesday, the focus has been on fine-tuning preparations,” Nhleko said.
Fiji come into the tournament as a well-oiled combination after their recent success in the Oceania tournament over Tonga, Moana Pasifika and Samoa.
“Fiji are a team with threats all about the park, big strong boys with excellent ball skills and dangerous with ball in hand,” Nhleko said.
“You need to be on it for 80 minutes, concentration-wise, to deal with their threats.
“For us, it’s about excelling in our fundamentals, maintaining our strengths around playing from a set-piece and being in a position to make the right decisions when there are opportunities.
“The contact area behaviours will be key on both sides of the ball.”
The match is the first of three pool C matches for SA, with other group games against Argentina and England.
The squad had to make three replacements because of recent injuries. Prop Reno Hirst, lock Adam de Waal and fullback JC Marsh will all miss the Championship through injury.
Their replacements are Herman Lubbe (prop), Jaco Grobbelaar (lock) and Hassiem Pead (fullback).
“It’s unfortunate when injuries happen, especially for guys like Adam and Reno, who worked so hard [from previous injuries] to give themselves a shot at the competition, but it is part of the game. We wish them a speedy recovery,” Nhleko said.
“JC could still feature later in the competition and potentially has next year as well.
“In the same breath, it’s great to welcome Hassiem back to the squad and Jaco, who missed the Australia tour due to injury — congratulations to both and we are excited to see their growth.”
The Junior Boks team is: 15 Michail Damon; 14 Joel Leotlela, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Joshua Boulle, 11 Litelihle Bester; 10 Liam Koen, 9 Asad Moos; 8 Tiaan Jacobs, 7 Thabang Mphafi, 6 Sibabalwe Mahashe, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Bathobele Hlekani, 3 Zachary Porthen (capt), 2 Luca Bakkes, 1 Ruan Swart. Replacements: 16 Juan Smal, 17 Liyema Ntshanga, 18 Casper Badenhorst, 19 Keanu Coetsee, 20 Divan Fuller, 21 Ezekiel Ngobeni, 22 Tylor Sefoor, 23 Likhona Finca. — SA Rugby Communications
Junior Boks name three uncapped players to face Fiji
The squad have worked on the lessons learnt in the Rugby Championship, SA coach says
Image: GALLO IMAGES/ASHLEY VLOTMAN
The Junior Springboks have included three uncapped players — hooker Luca Bakkes, flyhalf Liam Koen and outside back Likhona Finca — in their squad for their opening U20 World Championship rugby match against Fiji at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (7pm).
Bakkes will make his run-on debut and packs down in the front row between props Ruan Swart and Zachary Porthen, the Junior Bok captain, while Finca is set to make his debut off the bench should he be sent on as an outside back replacement. Koen will wear the No 10 jersey.
Otherwise, the Junior Boks have a settled look, with the rest of the starting lineup and replacement bench consisting of players who participated in the recent Sanzaar U20 Rugby Championship in Queensland, Australia.
The starting lineup has five changes and a positional switch from the side that beat Argentina in the last Rugby Championship match in Queensland, while there are several tweaks among the reserves.
Besides Bakkes’s inclusion in the front row in place of Juan Smal, there is a change at No 4 lock, with Thomas Dyer sitting out because of a niggle and the versatile Bathobele Hlekani moving from flank to form a partnership with JF van Heerden.
Thabang Mphafi, who played off the bench against Argentina, fills Hlekani’s position at No 7, with Siba Mahashe (No 6) and Tiaan Jacobs (No 8) the other loose forwards.
Koen will partner scrumhalf Asad Moos in a new-look halfback pairing.
The only other backline change sees Michail Damon replacing Bruce Sherwood at fullback.
Junior Bok coach Bafana Nhleko said the team had worked hard over the past week on the lessons from the Rugby Championship and that they were ready to meet the challenge of Fiji on Saturday.
“We had a good holding camp in Stellenbosch last week and since our move to our tournament base in Green Point on Tuesday, the focus has been on fine-tuning preparations,” Nhleko said.
Fiji come into the tournament as a well-oiled combination after their recent success in the Oceania tournament over Tonga, Moana Pasifika and Samoa.
“Fiji are a team with threats all about the park, big strong boys with excellent ball skills and dangerous with ball in hand,” Nhleko said.
“You need to be on it for 80 minutes, concentration-wise, to deal with their threats.
“For us, it’s about excelling in our fundamentals, maintaining our strengths around playing from a set-piece and being in a position to make the right decisions when there are opportunities.
“The contact area behaviours will be key on both sides of the ball.”
The match is the first of three pool C matches for SA, with other group games against Argentina and England.
The squad had to make three replacements because of recent injuries. Prop Reno Hirst, lock Adam de Waal and fullback JC Marsh will all miss the Championship through injury.
Their replacements are Herman Lubbe (prop), Jaco Grobbelaar (lock) and Hassiem Pead (fullback).
“It’s unfortunate when injuries happen, especially for guys like Adam and Reno, who worked so hard [from previous injuries] to give themselves a shot at the competition, but it is part of the game. We wish them a speedy recovery,” Nhleko said.
“JC could still feature later in the competition and potentially has next year as well.
“In the same breath, it’s great to welcome Hassiem back to the squad and Jaco, who missed the Australia tour due to injury — congratulations to both and we are excited to see their growth.”
The Junior Boks team is: 15 Michail Damon; 14 Joel Leotlela, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Joshua Boulle, 11 Litelihle Bester; 10 Liam Koen, 9 Asad Moos; 8 Tiaan Jacobs, 7 Thabang Mphafi, 6 Sibabalwe Mahashe, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Bathobele Hlekani, 3 Zachary Porthen (capt), 2 Luca Bakkes, 1 Ruan Swart. Replacements: 16 Juan Smal, 17 Liyema Ntshanga, 18 Casper Badenhorst, 19 Keanu Coetsee, 20 Divan Fuller, 21 Ezekiel Ngobeni, 22 Tylor Sefoor, 23 Likhona Finca. — SA Rugby Communications
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