Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has made several rotational changes to his starting line-up and included four players who played for the SA U20s last year for their second Rugby Championship Under-20 match against Australia at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Tuesday.
The SA U20s managed to beat Argentina in the opening round on Thursday, while Australia forced a late draw against New Zealand, scoring the equalising try after the hooter had sounded.
Foote has handed starts to JC Mars, Wandile Mlaba, Batho Hlekani and Herman Lubbe, all of whom played for the Junior Boks last year.
The SA U20 coach said it is important to keep their momentum going, manage the load of the players whilst also building squad depth by giving the players exposure to top-class international rugby.
With this – and Tuesday’s game against Australia – in mind, Foote said: “We play three internationals against quality teams in just 11 days, and with the short turnaround time between matches, we must be smart with our player load management.
“We have good squad depth and it’s important for the players to get a taste of international rugby, while we also want to build on our performance against Argentina, knowing that Australia will pose a huge challenge for us.”
In the Junior Bok front row, Simphiwe Ngobese and Lubbe will pack down as props on either side of hooker Juandre Schoeman. Riley Norton is retained at lock and will captain the team again, partnering with Morne Venter.
The loose forward combination sees Xola Nyali, who had a successful campaign with FNB Varsity Cup champions, UCT, coming onto the side of the scrum at flanker. He teams up with Hlekani, who made a strong impact off the bench in the second half against the Pumitas, while Mlaba is retained at No 8, to complete the loose trio.
Amongst the backs there is a new halfback pairing consisting of Ceano Everson (scrumhalf) and Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), while the midfield comprises of Dominic Malgas and Scott Nel. Cheswill Jooste will start again at right wing, and he will be joined in the back three by Siya Ndlozi (left wing) and Mars (fullback).
Regarding the team and their prospects of playing Australia, who will be highly motivated to register their first win, Foote said he is happy with the balance of the squad.
“It’s a nice match-23 with lots of exciting players and speed amongst the backs, complemented by a big and physical forward pack, and we are looking forward to the game,” said Foote.
“We see Australia as a massive threat with their ball movement and how they play with width, and we expect they will have some special structured set pieces with lineouts and scrums.
“I know Chris Whitaker from our time together in Vodacom Super Rugby, and he is an exciting, attacking coach. We know we will have to be on top of our game regarding their threats.”
The match kicks off at 16h10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. Argentina and New Zealand play in the earlier match on Tuesday starting at 14h00. Tickets for all matches cost R20 and can be bought online at Webtickets or at the ticket office of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The Junior Springbok team to face Australia in Gqeberha:
15. JC Mars
14. Cheswill Jooste
13. Scott Nel
12. Dominic Malgas
11. Siya Ndlozi
10. Vusi Moyo
9. Ceano Everson
8. Wandile Mlaba
7. Batho Hlekani
6. Xola Nyali
5. Morne Venter
4. Riley Norton (captain)
3. Herman Lubbe
2. Juandre Schoeman
1. Simphiwe Ngobese
Replacements:
16. HB Odendaal
17. Oliver Reid
18. Jean Erasmus
19. Neil Hansen
20. Thando Biyela
21. Erich Visser
22. Kyle Smith
23. Gino Cupido