New Junior Springbok assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa was like a kid with a new toy when he joined the SA Rugby U19 Academy camp earlier in the week, excited to get stuck in with the next generation of SA U20 players.
Mthethwa, who brings experience in backline play and attack to Kevin Foote’s coaching team, has worked with the Toyota Cheetahs and Suzuki Griquas’ senior teams, as well as the FNB Varsity Cup teams of Shimlas and CUT.
Working with Foote and Lumumba Currie has been a great experience so far for Mthethwa, and he said that he has also enjoyed the excitement and energy from the players who converged at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport on Sunday.
“The first thing for us as coaches, would be to get to know the players and then we have to set our standards going forward,” said Mthethwa.
“We have to lay down certain principles because we have to ensure we deliver the next generation of Springboks, but also a bunch of good human beings.”
Zooming in on his role in the team, Mthethwa said they want to lift their attacking capabilities in 2025.
“We want to play quick rugby, but there are certain values that go hand in hand with that,” he said. “We are working with a bunch of typically strong and tough South African boys, and playing hard is in our DNA, but the players also need to know when to go wide, and along with that, we have to find ways to win.
“I want to be in a position where I can applaud the players for the decisions they make, so that will also be a big focus. But we’re also working on support play, continuity, and skills, all of which lead into the decisions we make on the field.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the boys do well. We have a huge job on our hands as we will be representing the country, and we are very serious about that, but we’d also like to play beautiful rugby and enjoy what we are doing.”
Meanwhile, two players have been released from the camp due to injuries – Kyle Smith (flyhalf) is struggling with a sore hip and Christoff Etzebeth (prop) has an ankle injury.
Three players have joined the squad in Stellenbosch – flyhalf Leejay Petersen from the Vodacom Bulls, fullback Jamaine Dampies from the Leopards, and No 8 Keegan Scholtz from the Toyota Cheetahs.
The camp will run until the end of next week when the squad will be split into two teams for a training match. A second camp is planned for December.