Captain Zach Porthen nominated lock Bathobele Hlekani because the unofficial man of the match after serving to the Junior Springboks make a bodily assertion towards Fiji of their U20 World Championship opener. DYLAN JACK studies.
Hlekani marked his event debut with a formidable efficiency because the Junior Springboks thrashed Fiji in a 50-point victory in Cape City on Saturday evening.
Beginning within the second row alongside vice-captain JF van Heerden, Hlekani offered critical energy in South Africa’s engine room, whereas he was additionally harmful when requested to hold the ball ahead.
Tsek! pic.twitter.com/VJlmgRdCry
— A-P (@rugby_ap) June 29, 2024
“Batho is certainly an enormous boy,” stated Porthen. “He was at lock, however he performs like a flank as effectively across the pitch.
“You could possibly see that in the present day, with how he sidestepped just a few guys and made metres off each carry. That’s what we’d like. That’s what will get us go-forward and provides us choices to play with the backs.
“I feel Batho deserved man of the match in the present day.”
Bathobele Hlekani. I wasn’t acquainted with your sport. I’m now. pic.twitter.com/biBFhhG5DF
— A-P (@rugby_ap) June 29, 2024
A graduate of Graeme School, Hlekani has loved a exceptional rise from the township of Zwide, the place he initially attended Ndzondelelo Excessive College.
The 19-year-old shot onto the radar together with his performances for Jap Province’s U18 Craven Week aspect in 2023 and earned a name into the SA Colleges and SA U18 groups.
Junior Bok coach Bafana Nhleko stated that the choice to maneuver Hlekani from the again row to lock has been very purposeful, with the concept to carry him nearer to the sport.
“Batho goes to be a flank,” Nhleko defined. “We see him as a flank.
“We’re very aware about rising his sport. When he got here to us, lineouts weren’t an enormous factor for him and a few of his fundamentals weren’t there.
“He’s received pure expertise, however the reality is that we began him at lock this 12 months as a result of we needed to develop different points of his sport. So he’s not only a man who waits to get the ball to run. The extra he will get the ball, the extra he learns. He’s solely 19.”
Nhleko was pleased with how the Junior Boks overcame a nervous begin and scrappy second half to say a cushty win and was impressed with how his aspect handled a hard-hitting Fiji crew.
“We perceive Fiji’s power. As soon as they get go-forward ball, they get on high of you and so they begin working these traces, then they develop into harmful, as a result of all 15 of their gamers can do this.
“The necessary factor for us was to know that in the event you aren’t going to win the collisions, you’re going to be in hassle. Earlier than you already know it, you might be chasing shadows.
“This can be a assertion we needed to get proper as a gaggle, but it surely’s not solely about Fiji. This event calls for that physicality from you. We watched a little bit of the Argentina- England sport and that was very bodily. We have to sustain that physicality.”
Photograph: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Photos
