The Junior Springboks are leaving no stone unturned as they put together for Saturday’s U20 World Championship opener in opposition to Fiji at Cape City Stadium.
The SA U20 aspect moved into their official match base within the Mom Metropolis from their house base in Stellenbosch, and instantly went about their enterprise with a day session in opposition to their Australian counterparts on the Hamilton rugby membership grounds in Sea Level.
The time has come ⏰
The #JuniorBoks will kick-start their #WorldRugbyU20s marketing campaign on Saturday. Tickets can be found at Ticketmaster: https://t.co/uTr6rjwqC9 #JourneyToGreatness pic.twitter.com/N3RjXcFD2i
— SA Junior Rugby (@SAJuniorRugby) June 24, 2024
Chatting with native media shortly after the group had checked into their match group resort, assistant coach Lumumba Currie mentioned the main target of group for this week is to nice tune their preparations for the sport in opposition to Fiji.
“We’ve been collectively for 4 weeks now, and the fellows are trying sharp in camp. We’ve had a few coaching video games in opposition to the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport Rugby Institute (Sasri), which was factor for us as we would have liked to get that contact health,” added Currie.
The previous weekend the group additionally had a exercise in opposition to New Zealand on the Sanlam Boland Stadium in Wellington, which additionally proved useful for the upcoming showpiece.
“That can give us a greater preventing probability within the competitors as a result of we performed three worldwide matches within the (not too long ago staged U20 Rugby) Championship, which is one thing we by no means had earlier than, and in case you bear in mind the European groups would have a Six Nations below their belt earlier than arriving right here,” the Junior Boks forwards coach mentioned.
The Fijian aspect will include gamers who performed within the Pacific and New Zealand U20 competitions, which suggests they’re battle hardened and have a group with settled mixtures.
It is for that reason that, in keeping with Currie, the Junior Boks will choose their greatest accessible match squad for what will likely be a testing opening match Saturday night.
“Fiji have been taking part in collectively for some time now, and performed within the NZU20 competitors, which signifies that they’ve frolicked collectively, which ought to give them confidence.”
Currie mentioned general, the present Junior Bok squad is in a a lot better state of preparedness than they have been final yr, when that squad didn’t get pleasure from taking part in three high quality matches in Queensland.
“I have to be trustworthy, we’re higher off than the place we have been final yr this time, once we have been nonetheless looking for our toes at this stage. Then most of our gamers made their debut in opposition to Georgia within the first recreation of the World Championship.
“Coming from college’s rugby, U19 and U20 provincial competitors is completely different from internationals. The margins for error are a lot smaller,” reckons Currie.
“However the Rugby Championship and this surroundings has taught this group that you just’ve received to minimise your errors, as you received’t get so many possibilities, and type out our execution on assault and defence.”
The Junior Bok group to face Fiji will likely be named on Thursday.
Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Photographs
