Dobela may get first Junior Boks start at Champs
FORMER Border and Eastern Province schools rugby star Lubabalo Dobela will get the chance to show what he is made of when he starts his first game of the World Rugby U20 Championship for the Junior Springboks against the hosts France in Narbonne tonight.
The former Hudson Park and Grey High School flyhalf Dobela played off the bench in the opening two wins over Georgia and Ireland, particularly impressing in the Ireland match after being introduced early for the injured Damian Willemse.
With Willemse’s injury ruling him out for the rest of the competition, Dobela will most likely be considered first-choice.
“I have been waiting for the opportunity, I am going to take it with both hands,” said Dobela.
“That would be amazing [if considered first-choice], obviously it is unfortunate what happened with Damian, but injuries are part of the game and we just have to move forward from here.”
Tonight’s match is very important as it is a pool decider, with the French just a point behind the table-topping Junior Boks, making it a winner takes all encounter.
“We are feeling good, we would like to play to our full potential which we haven’t done yet and we want to take it a step forward from the second half of the Ireland game,” said Dobela.
“We are happy where we are on the log but feel like we could have had a better first game against Georgia and in the first half against Ireland, before we stepped it up in the second half and that is how we want to play from now on.
“So against France we just have to do the basics right, play to our set gameplan, we are all in the right mind-set and just execute the plan we have.”
Old Selbornian David Coetzer will also be in line for his first taste of world championship action after arriving in in France on Tuesday as flyhalf cover due to the Willemse injury, with him named among the substitutes.
Also on the bench are former Hudson Park prop Alulutho Tshakweni and Old Grey winger Sihle Njezula.
Tonight’s match kicks off at 9pm and will be broadcast live on SuperSport1.
The Junior Springbok team: Gianni Lombard (Xerox Golden Lions), Tyrone Green (Xerox Golden Lions), Manuel Rass (Xerox Golden Lions), Lyle Hendricks (DHL Western Province), Wandisile Simelane (Xerox Golden Lions), Lubabalo Dobela (Toyota Free State), Zak Burger (Cell C Sharks), Muller Uys (DHL Western Province), PJ Steenkamp (Xerox Golden Lions), Dian Schoonees (Xerox Golden Lions), Ruan Vermaak (Xerox Golden Lions), Salmaan Moerat (capt – DHL Western Province), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Xerox Golden Lions), Schalk Erasmus (DHL Western Province), Nathan McBeth (Xerox Golden Lions)
Substitutes: Tiaan van der Merwe (Xerox Golden Lions), Alulutho Tshakweni (Eastern Province), Sazi Sandi (DHL Western Province), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Western Province), Rewan Kruger (Toyota Free State), David Coetzer (DHL Western Province), Sihle Njezula (DHL Western Province).