Extended Junior Bok training squad named
Curwin Bosch, Zain Davids and Salmaan Moerat all feature in a 50-man Junior Springbok training squad named by SA Rugby as the preparations begin to take shape for the World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia from 31 May to 18 June.
Bosch and Davids are among nine players who participated in the tournament in Manchester last year, where the Junior Springboks finished in fourth place, while Moerat is one of six SA Schools team players from 2016 in the training squad.
Stedman Gans, Manie Libbok, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Embrose Papier, Cobus Wiese, Ruben de Villiers, Ernst van Rhyn and Carlű Sadie played for the Junior Boks with Bosch and Davids in 2016.
Moerat, who captained the SA Schools side last year, will be joined by his 2016 team-mates Gianni Lombard, Manuel Rass, Wandisile Simelane, Damian Willemse and Muller Uys.
A total of 86 players were invited to two assessment camps last month in Pretoria and Stellenbosch, where the players participated in a series of speed and strength tests and underwent medical screening. The first training camp will be in Stellenbosch from 5 to 17 March, whereafter the squad will be trimmed down to 28 players in April for the international showpiece, which kicks off in May.
“This is a talented group of players, and we can’t wait to start the real hard work in the lead-up to the World Rugby U20 Championship,” said Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux.
“The players who were selected really worked hard, which is very pleasing. They were aware of the fitness and strength standards required at this level of the game at the conclusion of the assessment camps, and we are proud of the work they put in to achieve that.
“But that was only the first step in what will be a mentally and physically challenging journey to possibly secure a place in the final 28-man squad.
“Over the next two months we will be working hard to put our structures and systems in place and to reach the desired fitness and strength requirements we would like to achieve as a team.
“We have exactly three months to get the team ready before their opening match, which is not much time, especially if one considers that the U20 Six Nations teams are at an advanced stage of their season. But that said, we are excited about the challenge ahead and we believe the players will be up for it.”
This camp will be followed by a tour to the central unions from 26 March to 9 April, which will feature warm-up matches against the Down Touch Griffons in Welkom on Friday, 31 March, Griquas in Kimberley on Wednesday, 5 April and Toyota Free State Cheetahs on Saturday, 8 April.
The Junior Springboks will play another two further warm-up matches, against the Varsity Cup Dream Team on Tuesday, 25 April, and DHL Western Province on Tuesday, 9 May, in Stellenbosch during their third training camp, which runs from 18 April to 12 May. They will conclude their preparations for the tournament with a holding camp in Stellenbosch from 21 to 25 May.
Junior Springbok training squad:
Props: Kwenzo Blose (Toyota Free State Cheetahs), Wikus Groenewald (DHL Western Province), Leo Kruger (Xerox Golden Lions), Andrew Kuhn (Toyota Free State Cheetahs), Lee-Marvin Mazibuko (DHL Western Province), Khutu Mchunu (Cell C Sharks), Mashao Mukhari (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Carlu Sadie (DHL Western Province), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Abram Venter (Toyota Free State Cheetahs).
Hookers: Abraham Coetzee (Toyota Free State Cheetahs), Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Marnus van der Merwe (Toyota Free State Cheetahs), HP van Schoor (Xerox Golden Lions).
Locks: Ruben de Villers (DHL Western Province), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Western Province), Reinhard Nothnagel (Xerox Golden Lions), Hendre Stassen (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Ruben van Heerden (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Cobus Wiese (DHL Western Province).
Loose forwards: Juarno Augustus (DHL Western Province), Jaco Bezuidenhout (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Hacjivah Dayimani (Xerox Golden Lions), Zain Davids (DHL Western Province), Eduan Lubbe (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Len Massyn (Xerox Golden Lions), Kuyenzeka Xaba (DHL Western Province), Muller Uys (DHL Western Province), Ernst van Rhyn (DHL Western Province).
Scrumhalves: Francois de Villiers (Cell C Sharks), Embrose Papier (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Bradley Thain (Xerox Golden Lions), Wayne van der Bank (Xerox Golden Lions), Jondre Williams (DHL Western Province).
Flyhalves: Curwin Bosch (Cell C Sharks), Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Cell C Sharks), Manie Libbok (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Damian Willemse (DHL Western Province).
Centres: Irvin Ali (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Heino Bezuidenhout (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Stedman Gans (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Manuel Rass (Xerox Golden Lions), Wandisile Simelane (Xerox Golden Lions), Cornel Smit (DHL Western Province).
Wingers: Ciaran Dayaram (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Ilunga Mukendi (Cell C Sharks), Mfundo Ndhlovu (Cell C Sharks), Michael Tambwe (Xerox Golden Lions).
Fullbacks: Gianni Lombard (Xerox Golden Lions), Yaw Penxe (EP Kings)