After thumping Georgia 57-14 in their final match at the U20 International Series on Saturday, the difficult task of trimming the Junior Bok squad down to 30 players for the World Cup will start in earnest, coach Kevin Foote says.
SA capped an impressive unbeaten run with a commanding victory over Georgia at Paul Roos Gymnasium’s Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch on Saturday, securing a clean sweep in the series after earlier victories over Chile and Fiji.
The final outing of the series in Stellenbosch provided Foote with invaluable insights as his squad builds towards the forthcoming World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia.
SA scored nine tries on their way to a third straight win in the series after leading 38-7 at the halfway mark.
“It was a very physical test,” Foote said.
“Georgia are strong at set pieces and collisions, and they’ve got a lot of pride.
“This is exactly the kind of challenge we needed, especially with another clash against them looming in their home conditions.
“This series has been incredibly valuable,” he said.
“It gave us the opportunity to blood new players, reintegrate others and bring some guys back from injury.
“Now the challenge is narrowing the group to 30 players and that’s not going to be easy, given the talent we have available.”
Foote said selection would focus not only on individual performances, but also on established combinations and overall squad balance.
“We will look closely at combinations and continuity.
“At the same time, players must be ready to perform at the highest level.
“The next two weeks will be crucial in ensuring that everyone is fully prepared.”
SA captain Riley Norton expressed confidence in the squad’s physical and mental condition heading into the international showpiece, where they will defend their U20 world title.
“We’re in a really good place as a group,” he said.
“There’s been a demanding schedule, but we’ve also had the opportunity to recover properly.
“The squad is feeling confident and united.”
For Norton, the occasion also carried personal significance, returning to Paul Roos, where he played his schoolboy rugby just two years ago.
“It was incredibly special to play here again,” Norton said.
“It’s a place that means a lot to many of us, and to do it in a Junior Bok jersey made it even more meaningful.
“Georgia are a proud rugby nation and very physical.
“They never go away, and we know playing them in their own backyard in a few weeks will be an even bigger challenge.”
The Junior Springboks will now enter a critical selection and preparation phase before departing to Georgia for the 2026 edition of the tournament, to be staged in three weeks’ time.
Scorers:
Junior Springboks 57: Tries: Yaqeen Ahmed (2), Kebotile Maake (2), Luan Giliomee (2), Vusi Moyo, Gert Kemp, Jack Benade. Conversions: Moyo (4), Ahmed (2).
Georgia 14: Tries: Levani Ezieshvili, Luka Tabatadze. Conversions: Mate Makharadze, Nikolozi Khalvashi. — Additional reporting by SA Rugby Communications
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