Junior Boks will keep pushing against Fiji, says Foote

After annihilating Chile 97-0 in their opening match, the Junior Boks will keep on pushing when they face Fiji in their second outing at the U20 International Series in Cape Town on Tuesday, says coach Kevin Foote.

Foote said he was impressed at how a totally dominant SA side stuck to their plan and maintained fluency in a one-sided encounter against the Chileans at Rondebosch Boys High School.

“I am happy with the result, but for me it was more about the maturity of the group,” Foote said. “In a game like that, your plan can perhaps get a little loose, but I thought the players managed it well.

“We only got together on Monday, so for a lot of these guys it was an important chance to put up their hands, both for the Junior World Championship and for the future.”

Foote credited the schools, provincial unions and SA Rugby’s pathway structures for creating opportunities for players to come into the camp, return from injury and become familiar with the side’s systems.

“A lot of the credit must go to the system around these players,” he said. “Most of the squad members have come in and out of camps during the year, and that time together is invaluable.

“There is a lot of talent in this group, but if they don’t play together, they don’t get to know each other and they don’t learn how we want to play. The schools, the unions and SA Rugby have all played a big part in that.

“Some of the players who came in showed they have got big futures ahead of them – they stayed hungry and kept working, and that is exactly what you want to see.

“It was also great to have players back from injury such as Pieter van der Merwe, for instance. Rehab can be a lonely place, so when someone returns and contributes from both a playing and leadership point of view, that is a real positive for us.

“There were good things in the performance, but we want to keep pushing.

“Chile don’t always get the same opportunities that we do, but they brought fight, line speed and real effort. We are grateful to them for being here. Fiji and Georgia will also test us in different ways.”

Some players who starred in the Junior Springboks’ triumph at the U20 Rugby Championship tournament in Gqeberha were given a break ahead of the Cape Town series.

Looking ahead to the remaining fixtures, Foote said the coaching staff would use the opportunity to rotate the squad and assess depth in key positions.

Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote. File photo — Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote (Richard Huggard/Gallo Images)

Junior Boks regulars Luan Giliomee, Christian Vorster, Jordan Steenkamp, and Pieter van der Merwe are back in the group after they missed the recent U20 Rugby Championship due to injury.

“We are looking to freshen up the squad, give players opportunities in certain positions and allow them to put their hands up for Junior World Championship selection,” Foote said.

“It is an important balance between managing the group in the present and continuing to build for the future.

“This tournament will provide valuable game time for players who may not have featured regularly during the recent U20 Rugby Championship, while also creating opportunities for younger squad members to continue their development within the Junior Bok environment.

Regular captain Riley Norton (lock) and Zekhethelo Siyaya (utility back), who were recently included in the Springbok alignment camp squad, were not available for the first two matches.

Midfielder Markus Muller, who recently made his Stormers debut, and Bulls wing Cheswill Jooste were not considered due to injuries.