Junior Boks put Gqeberha heartache behind them

The Herald

01-06-2025

After the disappointment of ending third at the four-team U20 Rugby Championship in Gqeberha in May, the Junior Boks are ramping up preparations for the World Rugby Championship, which kicks off in Italy on June 29.
Two training sessions against a visiting senior Kenyan side have been included in a three-week training camp which starts in Stellenbosch on Monday.
The meetings with Kenya will be match simulation exercises, with the first set for June 9 and the second five days later on June 14, in Stellenbosch.
Junior Bok coach Kevin Foote has included three new players in a training squad.
He has welcomed back several familiar faces who are back from injury and United Rugby Championship duty in addition to three newcomers in Rambo Kubheka (loosehead prop), Shaun Schürman (hooker) and Ian van der Merwe (flyhalf).
Returning to the squad are locks Jaco Grobbelaar and Arno van der Merwe, No 8 Stephanus Linde, and outside backs Jaco Williams and Alzeadon Felix.
' Rambo, who played for the SA U18s last year, has been doing very well for Hollywoodbets Sharks in the SA Rugby U21 Cup, while Shaun and Ian, a very good game driver and left-footed kicker, have also been in good form for the Vodacom Bulls U21s,' Foote said.
'Jaco Grobbelaar, who played for the Junior Boks last year, is back from his Vodacom URC duty with the Vodacom Bulls and will join us in week two, and Stephanus, who toured with us to Georgia earlier this year, returns after he picked up a knee injury in the FNB Varsity Cup.
'It's also good to welcome back from injury Jaco Williams, who has been training with the Sharks' URC team, Alzeadon Felix, who had a good Varsity Cup campaign, and Arno van der Merwe.'
Foote said HB Odendaal (hooker), Neil Hansen (lock), Divan Fuller (flanker), and Matt Romao (flanker) have been ruled out due to injury, while JC Mars (fullback) would join the squad as soon as he had shrugged off a hamstring niggle.
'We're a very settled team now, with some guys coming back from injury and unfortunately some players being injured while on duty for their provinces in the SA Rugby U21 Cup,' Foote .
'We've kept the core of the squad together for a long time now; they're a great team off the field and have a good connection, which we think is very important for us going into the World Championship, also understanding how we want to play and our game model.
'There has been a lot of work done over the last few camps, including the tour to Georgia and the U20 Rugby Championship.
'Though we didn't get the results against Australia and New Zealand in Gqeberha, we've taken a lot of good learning from those experiences, and we feel we are very close to where we want to be.'
Junior Springbok training squad:
Props: Simphiwe Ngobese (Sharks), Ranon Fouché (Bulls), Oliver Reid (Western Province), Kubheka (Sharks), Jean Erasmus (Bulls), Tebogo Nkosi (Cheetahs), Herman Lubbe (Western Province).
Hookers: Juandré Schoeman (Bulls), Siphosethu Mnebelele (Bulls), Shaun Schürmann (Bulls).
Locks: Jaco Grobbelaar (Bulls), Riley Norton (Western Province), Arno van der Merwe (Cheetahs), Morné Venter (Lions), JJ Theron (Bulls), Zuko Phoswa (Western Province).
Loose forwards: Xola Nyali (Western Province), Thando Biyela (Lions), Batho Hlekani (Sharks), Stephanus Linde (Cheetahs), Wandile Mlaba (Western Province).
Scrumhalves: Haashim Pead (Lions), Ceano Everson (Sharks), Erich Visser (Cheetahs).
Flyhalves: Vusi Moyo (Sharks), Ian van der Merwe (Bulls).
Centres: Albie Bester (Sharks), Demitre Erasmus (Bulls), Gino Cupido (Western Province).
Outside backs: Jaco Williams (Sharks), Siya Ndlozi (Western Province), Cheswill Jooste (Bulls), Gilermo Mentoe (Lions), Alzeadon Felix (Lions), Scott Nel (Sharks).
Utility back: Dominic Malgas (Western Province).
The Herald