The Junior Springboks touched down in Tbilisi on Tuesday after a demanding long-haul journey from Cape Town via Istanbul, with newly appointed SA U20 captain Siphosethu Mnebelele leading the squad into the next phase of their Junior World Championship campaign.
Mnebelele was appointed captain shortly before the squad departed for Georgia, following Riley Norton and Vusi Moyo’s inclusion in the Springbok squad for the Nations Championship.
Upon arrival at their hotel on the outskirts of Tbilisi, the SA U20S immediately focused on recovery, heading to a nearby gym for a cycling session to shake off the travel fatigue.
From Wednesday, the Junior Boks will be back on the field to round off preparations for their opening Pool A clash against Uruguay on Saturday at Avchala Stadium.
Their arrival coincided with the official World Rugby captains’ media conference, where Mnebelele spoke about the pride and responsibility of leading the Junior Boks, crediting Norton for setting an excellent example as a leader and saying he had learned a great deal from both Norton and Moyo.
“The way they carried themselves over the past two years has been a real motivating factor for me,” said Mnebelele.
“I am close to both Riley and Vusi, and I have seen the hard work they’ve put in to get where they are.
“It is such an honour to be selected as captain of this talented group of players. I believe we have a strong leadership group, and that will be a tremendous help to me as team captain.”
The Junior Bok hooker also had a taste of senior international rugby when he started for the SA ‘A’ side in their 40–0 triumph over Zimbabwe in Gqeberha last Saturday.
Mnebelele said the Junior Boks are excited to be back in Georgia and are looking forward to finalising their preparations for the clash with Uruguay. The SA U20S toured Georgia earlier this year and won both matches against the determined hosts.
However, the new Junior Bok skipper is under no illusions about the challenge that lies ahead in the coming weeks: “We expect every team to be competitive and to pose a real challenge. I believe we have prepared well over the past few weeks, and we are ready and excited for the tournament.”
Following the media conference, the participating captains attended the customary captains’ forum at the historic Metekhi Church – a symbolic gathering that underscored the cultural significance of the tournament’s Georgian setting.
Junior Boks’ Pool A fixtures:
27 June: South Africa vs Uruguay
2 July: South Africa vs Georgia
7 July: South Africa vs Wales
Play-offs:
12–13 July: Semi-finals
17–18 July: Ranking play-offs and final