Roux goes with tried and tested juniors
• Seven chosen from 2016 team
SA Under-20 coach Chean Roux has selected seven players that represented the team in the 2016 opening match against France in Tbilisi, Georgia.
SA Under-20 coach Chean Roux has selected seven players that represented the team in 2016 in his squad for Wednesday’s World Rugby U20 Championship opening match against France in Tbilisi, Georgia.
It is a repeat of 2016’s group phase clash against France that SA won 40-31.
Six of the players — flyhalf Curwin Bosch‚ flanks Ernst van Rhyn and Zain Davids‚ fullback Manie Libbok‚ centre Stedman Gans and prop Carlu Sadie — were all named in the starting line-up. Prop Kwenzo Blose is on the bench.
Bosch played fullback in the corresponding fixture against France in 2016 when he scored 20 points.
After 2016’s disappointing showing in Manchester‚ where the Junior Boks lost three of their five matches on their way to fourth place‚ the pressure is on to be competitive again.
The South Africans have not won the title since 2012.
With Georgia looming on Sunday‚ winning against France is essential to avoid going into a clash against the hosts needing a victory to advance to the semifinals.
Rugby has gained huge traction in Georgia and their under20 team has been well groomed for this tournament.
Bosch will link up with scrumhalf Rewan Kruger in the
halfback pairing‚ while Van Rhyn and Davids will join forces with Juarno Augustus in the loose trio.
The lock combination of 2016 SA Schools captain Salmaan Moerat and Ruben van Heerden and the front row of Sadie‚ fellow prop Gerhard Steenekamp and hooker Johan Grobbelaar will complete the pack.
Gans and David Brits will occupy the midfield‚ with Yaw Penxe and Wandisile Simelane at wing.
“The experience the players will bring from [2016] will certainly be beneficial against France‚” said Roux.
“They know what it is like to play for their country in front of a crowd and to sing the national anthem‚ and hopefully that experience will filter down to the other players making their debuts. We had a good idea about the team we wanted to select for this match since our holding camp in Cape Town‚ so it wasn’t that tough to select the starting side. But that said we have 28 very good players in the squad and any of them can play at any time.”
The coach expected a tough challenge against France‚ who finished second in the U20 Six Nations earlier in 2017, but he is confident in his team’s abilities.
“France are a physical side and they do not like to kick the ball much‚ so they will want to bring that French flair into their game. That means our defence has to be up to scratch and we need to put a lot of pressure on them‚” said Roux.
The match kicks off at 1.30pm SA time and will be broadcast live on SuperSport 1.
The SA U20 team will meet the tournament hosts‚ Georgia‚ in their second pool match on Sunday and will round off the pool stages against Argentina on June 8.