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Junior Springboks include five uncapped players in XV to play Italy
Bafana Nhleko has opted to explore the depth of his Junior Springboks squad on Thursday when they take on Italy in their second match at the Junior World Championship in South Africa.
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The U20s hosts eventually secured a 10-point win over Georgia in their opener last Saturday in Stellenbosch and selection has now been shaken up for their next Pool C encounter, a clash with the age-grade Azzurri who were hammered in their opener by Argentina following a first-half red card.
A statement read: “Junior Springboks head coach Bafana Nhleko has named five uncapped players in his starting team to face Italy.
“Backs Regan Izaks (full-back), Quewin Nortje (wing) and Sam Francis (fly-half) will don the South African U20s colours for the first time, alongside Corne Beets (No8) and Tiaan Wessels (lock) as Nhleko stuck to his pre-tournament intentions to give everyone in the squad a run as early as possible. Litelihle Bester (utility back) will make his debut off the bench.
“Paul de Villiers will again lead the side as one of five starters against Georgia in the opening game last weekend. Vice-captain Katlego Letebele is getting a second start, as is JF van Heerden, Mawande Mdanda and Juann Else. Michael Annies, Damian Markus, Neil le Roux, Jannes Potgieter and Corne Lavagna all played off the bench last week but will start the game this time around.”
Nhleko said: “It was always part of the planning to give as many players as possible a run in the first two games. We told the group that we need to rotate as the tournament goes along.
“It is also important to show trust in every player in our squad and give them a run early on. This will help us have fresh bodies throughout the tournament, as the turnaround between matches will be taxing on the bodies.
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“We needed some consistency in the spine and those guys will provide that,” he continued, explaining why he kept five of the starters against the Georgians in their game two XV. “The five starting this week after coming off the bench against Georgia get some reward for the impact they had on the game once they got on the field, but again, rotation was always part of the plan.
“I told the players that we will need 30 and even one or two more players to get the result we want, so we are going to call on everyone to contribute during the tournament. An important thing is also to grow this group and the only way that is going to be possible is to get them game time.
“It was so great to feel the support from the crowd in our first match. From leaving the hotel till we got onto our change rooms, the team was cheered on, that is not something they were used to. It is a massive privilege to play at home and we want to make the best of that.”
Junior Springboks (vs Italy U20s – Thursday, 4pm SAST)
15. Regan Izaks (uncapped)
14. Michael Annies – 1 cap, 0 points
13. Katlego Letebele (vice-captain) – 3 caps, 5 points (1 try)
12. Damian Markus – 1 cap, 0 points
11. Quewin Nortje (uncapped)
10. Sam Francis (uncapped)
9. Neil Le Roux (4 caps, 0 points)
1. Corne Lavagna – 3 caps, 0 points
2. Juann Else – 4 caps, 0 points
3. Mawande Mdanda – 1 cap, 0 points
4. Tiaan Wessels (uncapped)
5. JF Van Heerden – 1 cap, 0 points
6. Paul de Villiers (captain) – 5 caps, 0 points
7. Jannes Potgieter – 1 cap, 0 points
8. Corne Beets (uncapped)
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Replacements:
16. SJ Kotze – 1 cap, 0 points
17. Phatu Ganyane – 1 cap, 0 points
18. Zachary Porthen – 1 cap, 0 points
19. Ghudian van Reenen – 1 cap, 0 points
20. Gcinokuhle Mdletshe – 5 caps, 0 points
21. Imad Khan – 5 caps, 5 points (1 try)
22. Litelihle Bester (uncapped)
23. Jurenzo Julius – 1 cap, 5 points (1 try)
Comments on RugbyPass
Speeding the game up is great, but I think we will find that the increase in viewership this year mostly comes down to the competition being more competitive…the fall of the Crusaders has been a boon for viewership. This should be at the heart of super rugby changes - how to make the comp more even
23 Go to commentsThe fact that the press were largely to blame for his taking a break is nothing short of disgusting. He’s made a few mistakes but difficult to name a player of any substance who gives it a full go hasn’t also made mistakes? On behalf of a large number of Bokke fans, bring back Farrell !!!!!
1 Go to commentsPSTD is a fantastic flanker. He could benefit from a bit of self-promotion / flair and he is not quite the danger man that Ardie is. That said, he is my 1st pick to build a backrow around. His speed and hustle made up for Duane who got quite a bit slower at the 8.
2 Go to commentssurprised, disco lights haven't been banned by world rugby board
21 Go to commentsToo many changes. Too often. I’m tired of this WR administration. How do we vote these fockers out? Bill needs to go.
21 Go to commentsDu Toit, 2 time W.Cup winner yet rarely mentioned a “Great “…if one looks back on his stellar carrier perhaps someone will one day elevate him to “Richie” status…a quiet, polite yet devastating loose forward that knew action speaks louder than words..
2 Go to commentsI like the offside rule, but this won't affect my team because all their kicks gets chased and that putts everyone on side. Lekker manne!
21 Go to comments20 minute Red Card is untenable. If you don’t punish the whole team, coaches won’t be sufficently incentivised to pick players with, or coach better tackle technique.
1 Go to commentsI can only think of One time ever a team has opted for a scrum from a free kick… Why the law change I wonder
21 Go to commentsYeah, its not going to work. But we see you World Rugby.
21 Go to commentsLove the reaction after last 2 W.Cups re rule changes…maybe good for more for more of a “ league” type running game( which I personally don’t like) but seems Rassie is definitely in ther heads…
21 Go to commentsGreat. More unwanted changes. Because these always work out well.
21 Go to commentsI’m sure South Africa’s opponents will rejoice at World Rugby minimising one of the Boks’ most potent weapons, but you just know Rassie is cooking something up with free-kicks that no-one else has thought of. Let them play checkers. Rassie’s playing chess. 😂
21 Go to commentsAfter a fairly simple Pac4, the BFs will find out a lot about themselves in September when they face the rampaging RedRoses at Twickenham in front of a record crowd. After that they will face them again in Canada in WXV1. They also have France to contend with. Will be interesting to see what Australia have to offer with Jo Yapp at the helm.
1 Go to commentsSuper Rugby Pacific has been better as a spectacle due to the emphasis on speeding the game up and I’d look at taking things a step further. Instead of giving teams 90 seconds to take a conversion, let’s bring that down 60 seconds. You could also look at allowing 45 seconds for a penalty goal. Maybe teams could get 20 seconds instead of 30 to form a scrum before the ref then starts the engagement process. However, this year the most pleasing change is the added competitiveness in the Trans Tasman matches. What does frustrate me is how the rugby media in Australasia allow the the whole ‘‘rugby is boring’’/’’rugby yawnion’’ narrative to take hold from from vindictive league types, the chairman of the ARL commission and News Limited Australia. Stick up for the game and shift the narrative!
23 Go to commentsIt’s not new for nines to be the key playmaker. For the Boks it has been common, with Fourie du Preez and Joost vd Westhuizen being obvious examples. It's also not that recent for nines to be box kicking, covering high balls in the back field, and tackling in the defensive line. For example, Faf de Klerk has been doing all of that for years.
6 Go to commentsThe hell with this constant regurgitation of what this pretty boy is doing. For all I care he might as well be doing a Jamie Oliver cooking course. Rugby is not a progression toward the NFL, which, given its prominence in your reporting, you appear to regard as the ultimate contact sport. It has virtually nothing to do with rugby, and forever may that remain the case. I know that if I don’t like it I don’t have to read it, but I’m sick of seeing this dishwater-dull nonsense.
2 Go to commentsGuys Eben did not mean it in a ugly way as it’s just a feeling he had. We Safas rate the All Blacks and no Bok player wants to play NZ in a Knockout game
148 Go to commentsHe basically described who Aaron Smith also considers the GOAT 9….the one & only Fourie du Preez😎
6 Go to commentsI’m hoping that the Reds can win their last 4 games with a couple of try bonus points. The pessimist in me wouldn't be surprised if the Drua and the Tahs knock the Reds over. The Reds may end up ruing the fact they were distinctly 2nd best against the Force and just so clunky against Moana Pasifica. The Brumbies should win all their remaining games with some bonus points giving them at least a top 2 finish as the leading Kiwi sides will take points off each other. How the Brumbies handle the fact that they will be expected to beat the Crusaders will fascinate me. You’d probably have to go back to 2001 for the last time the Brumbies would go into a game against the Crusaders odds on to win.
8 Go to comments