The Junior Springboks completed the first week of their final preparation block on Friday as they continued their build-up to the World Rugby U20 Championship, which will kick off on 29 June in Italy.
The SA U20 squad had a brief break from training after the U20 Rugby Championship in Gqeberha. They assembled at their usual training camp base in Stellenbosch at the beginning of the week for the final period of preparations before heading out to Italy on 24 June.
The coaching and support staff wasted no time as they quickly got the enlarged training group into gear, with regulation medical examinations, fitness and conditioning work, gymnasium exercises, and technical and daily on-field training sessions.
Earlier in the week, the backs had a joint training session with the Blitzboks as they continued to fine-tune their attacking skills and defensive work, while the forwards were put through their paces with maul, lineout, and various scrumming drills.
Junior Bok assistant coach Lumumba Currie, who works with the forwards, said the coaching staff are pleased with the effort of the players during the first week back from their break.
“The break came at the right time after the Rugby Championship as it allowed some of the players who needed a bit of rest after a hard tournament to do just that,” said Currie.
“Others who perhaps needed a bit more game time played and performed very well for their provincial teams in the SA Rugby U21 Cup, which we have been closely monitoring.”
During the Rugby Championship, the Junior Bok forward pack delivered some outstanding spells, allowing their team to gain momentum and for the speedy backline to show its attacking skills. But Currie knows that, with just three weeks to go before they fly out to Italy, there is still plenty of work to be done on the training field.
“Like in any campaign, you analyse the things that worked and those aspects which still need some improvement,” said Currie.
“So, during this camp, we continue to focus on our core fundamentals, improving on the things we did successfully and working hard on addressing those shortcomings.
“The players are in a good space mentally and physically, and I must say the medical and conditioning team are doing a great job in this regard. We have a big squad in camp, and they work hard to ensure the boys are always in the best possible condition to do what they must on the training field and in the gym.
“You can feel the excitement amongst the management staff and the players as the time gets nearer to the final squad announcement. For us as coaches, it is a great time, and we feel very privileged to be involved with such a talented group of national team players.
“The young men have a clear understanding of our South African rugby DNA and the way we want to play the game, and we are looking forward to representing the country at the World Rugby Championship in Italy.”
