The two South African Under-18 squads are all set for their highly anticipated final matches of the U18 International Series in Paarl on Saturday, with the coaches making several tweaks to the teams to give more players a run at a higher level.
The last round of this prestigious annual age-group showpiece will be staged at Paarl Gimnasium.
Saturday’s action gets underway at 11h30 when the SA U18 ‘A’ side takes on France, and this is followed by the clash between Ireland and Georgia at 13h30. The main event will be the SA U18S going head-to-head with England at 15h30, looking for their third win of the tournament.
For the encounter against the English, SA U18 coach Lwazi Zangqa again shuffled the starting combinations. From the pack that convincingly beat Ireland 45-5 on Tuesday at Boland Landbou, only the lock combination of Jayden Joubert and AJ Meyer, as well as No 8 Gert Kemp, were retained.
The front row is all new, with Kai Pratt (loosehead), Altus Rabe (hooker), and JG Badenhorst (tighthead) getting the nod while flankers Chinedu Amadi and Joshua Neill will start.
The backline also sees numerous changes, with Morne Noble (scrumhalf), Liyema Nela (flyhalf), Jadrian Afrikaner (wing), and Ethan Adams (inside centre) all getting starting opportunities after coming off the bench in the last game.
Zangqa explained that the plan was to give every player in the squad a chance to gain experience on the international stage: “We wanted to ensure each player got the opportunity to taste international rugby and to enjoy the occasion.”
The SA U18 coach further emphasised that they are ready for a physical battle against England, who will be motivated to finish the series on a high note after losing both their matches so far.
“Our plan is to make sure we're physically up for the battle,” Zangqa said. “While our defence will be important, we are also eager to deliver a good attacking display. This will be the last time this year that our supporters will see the U18S in action, so we want to give them something good to watch.”
Zangqa added that the SA U18S will need to be focused for the entire match to handle England's challenge: “England will be eager to finish the series on a positive note, so we will have to be ready to meet their challenge and concentrate throughout.”
After their dominant 57-19 victory over Georgia, the SA U18 ‘A’ side also shows a few rotational changes. Two of these are in the pack, at loosehead prop and lock, while the rest are in the backs, with tweaks to the wings, centre, and fullback positions.
Jeffrey Singo (prop), Diaan Augustyn (lock), and Reinhart Viljoen (fullback) are back in the starting lineup while wings Junaide Pasensie and Ncutu Kepe have swapped sides. Jeandre Uithaler, one of the team’s key players throughout the tournament, will once again captain the side from the fly-half position.
SA U18 ‘A’ coach Flash Malinga said they are looking forward to taking on the French: “France lost their opening-round match to the SA U18S, but they showed in their win over England how good they are.”
Malinga anticipates another tough game and explained his final team selection: “We selected what we believe is our best combination for this match. We have strength in the starting combination and on our bench, who we regard as good finishers.
“It has been a great tournament with many good experiences and valuable learnings, and we’re looking forward to showcasing and testing our attack, defence, and our set piece against the French.”
SA U18 to take on England: 15 Zekhethelo Siyaya (Sharks), 14 Junaide Stuart (Bulls), 13 Markus Muller (captain, Western Province), 12 Ethan Adams (Cheetahs), 11 Jadriaan Afrikaner (Sharks), 10. Liyema Nela (Sharks), 9 Morne Noble (Western Province), 8 Gert Kemp (Western Province), 7 Joshua Neill (Western Province), 6 Chinedu Amadi (Lions), 5 AJ Meyer (Cheetahs), 4 Jayden Joubert (Western Province), 3 JG Badenhorst (Cheetahs), 2 Altus Rabe (Western Province), 1 Kai Pratt (South Western Districts). Replacements: 16 Keenan Myners (South Western Districts), 17 Jordan Jooste (Western Province), 18 Matthew van der Merwe (Western Province), 19 Lwandile Mlaba (Sharks), 20 Wasi Vyambwera (Sharks), 21 Jacobus de Villiers (South Western Districts), 22 Jayden Brits (Western Province), 23 Ruben Groenewald (Bulls), 24 Christian Vorster (South Western Districts), 25 Lamla Mgedezi (Cheetahs), 26 Thabiso Simelane (Bulls).
SA U18 ‘A’ to take on France: 15 Reinhart Viljoen (South Western Districts), 14 Ncutu Kepe (Border), 13 Erin Nelson (Eastern Province), 12 Lizwe Mthethwa (Sharks), 11 Junade Pasensie (Bulls), 10 Jeandre Uithaler (captain, Lions), 9 Mickyle Booise (Western Province), 8 Quintin Potgieter (Western Province), 7 Liam Lightly (South Western Districts), 6 Briint Davids (Western Province), 5 Migael Turner (Western Province), 4 Diaan Augustyn (South Western Districts), 3 Deon Botes (Bulls), 2 Thomas Muller (Western Province), 1 Jeffrey Singo (Bulls). Replacements: 16 Keenan Myners (South Western Districts), 17 Pieta Cilliers (Western Province), 18 Bernhard du Toit (Western Province), 19 Lian Terblanche (Lions), 20 Nhlanhla Ndlovu (Sharks), 21 Zirk Meyer (Bulls), 22 Ethan van Biljon (Western Province), 23 Nathan Aneke (Sharks), 24 Sbabalwe Magwebu (Border), 25 Jeneall Davids (Western Province).