The Junior Boks had their capping ceremony on Tuesday evening, and Bafana Nhleko will today name his team for their opener on Friday against Uruguay (kick-off 15h00). The u/20 sides from Argentinia and Georgia will kick off the international series at 13h00. Both matches are to be played at the Markotter Stadium (Paul Roos) in Stellenbosch.
For Sibusiso Shongwe the opportunity to represent his country looms large. The Junior Springbok tighthead prop is part of the squad that will contest the U20 International Series from Friday when the hosts take on their U20 counterparts Uruguay, Argentina and Georgia in Stellenbosch.
The 20-year-old Lions player was schooled at Jeppe Boys High in Johannesburg and got to know the workings of head coach, Bafana Nhleko, from an early age.
"Yes, coach Bafana was involved at our school, and I got to know him from my early days there," said Shonge, who hails from Ermelo.
"I joined Jeppe when I went to high school. In Ermelo, I was playing No 8 and was offered an opportunity at Jeppe. Once I arrived there, I started as a prop. And have been playing tighthead ever since."
The Junior Boks' opponents, especially the Los Pumitas and Georgian packs, are well known for their scrumming power. Shongwe is an exciting prospect to be tested in that department next to his fellow front rankers.
"Scrums are not about one player only, but yes, there will be some physical demands that are for sure," said Shongwe, who was part of the SA Rugby Academy side and played their warm-up matches, as well as a brief stint with the University of Witwatersrand in the recent FNB Varsity Cup.
"We are looking forward to that challenge as a unit and worked hard to make sure we do things right come game time. This is an amazing opportunity for us to represent our country, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be grabbed."