REIGNS IN SA U20 SQUAD
Seven players in SA side against France were in last year’s team
SOUTH Africa U20 coach Chean Roux has selected seven players who represented the team last year in his squad for today’s World Rugby U20 Championship opening match against France in Tbilisi, Georgia.
It is a repeat of last year’s group phase clash against France‚ which 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 lineup.
Prop Kwenzo Blose is on the bench.
Bosch played fullback in the corresponding fixture against France last year‚ scoring 20 points in the match.
After last year’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 massive traction in Georgia and their U20 team have 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 last year’s 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.
In the backline‚ Gans and David Brits will occupy the midfield‚ with Yaw Penxe and Wandisile Simelane at wing.
“The experience the players will bring from last year will certainly be beneficial against France‚” Roux said.
“We had a good idea about the team we wanted to select for this match since our holding camp in Cape Town.
“But we have 28 very good players in the squad and any of them can play at any time.”
He expects a tough challenge against France‚ who finished second in the U20 Six Nations earlier this year‚ but is confident in his side’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‚” Roux said.
The match against France will kick off at 1.30pm SA time and will be broadcast live on SuperSport 1 (channel 201).
The SA U20s will meet hosts Georgia in their second pool match on Sunday‚ and will round off the pool stages against Argentina on June 8.
The team is: 15 Manie Libbok (Blue Bulls); 14 Yaw Penxe (EP Kings), 13 Stedman Gans (Blue Bulls), 12 David Brits (Western Province), 11 Wandisile Simelane (Xerox Golden Lions); 10 Curwin Bosch (Sharks), 9 Rewan Kruger (Free State); 8 Juarno Augustus (WP), 7 Ernst van Rhyn (capt, WP), 6 Zain Davids (WP), 5 Ruben van Heerden (Blue Bulls), 4 Salmaan Moerat (WP), 3 Carlu Sadie (WP), 2 Johan Grobbelaar (Blue Bulls), 1 Gerhard Steenekamp (Blue Bulls). Replacements: 16 Kwenzo Blose (Free State), 17 Daniel Jooste (WP), 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko (WP), 19 Hendre Stassen (Blue Bulls), 20 Nama Xaba (WP), 21 Francois de Villiers (Sharks), 22 Damian Willemse (WP), 23 Gianni Lombard (Xerox Golden Lions)