Buoyant Junior Boks ready to face haka, says Mthethwa

With two emphatic wins under their belt the Junior Boks are focused and ready to face their old foes New Zealand in what promises to be a titanic battle for supremacy in Gqeberha on Saturday, assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa says.

Though the Junior Boks go into their final league game against the All Blacks with a handsome five-point lead on top of the log, it is mathematically possible they could be overtaken.

In reality the Boks already have one firm hand on the trophy and only require a bonus point to seal a historic first U20 Rugby Championship triumph at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 4.10pm).

Blown away by the support they have received at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in 2025 and 2026, the Junior Boks want Gqeberha to be named as the forever hosts of the U20 Rugby Championship tournament, SA coach Kevin Foote says. When Gqeberha was named as host city for the tournament in 2025, SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said the four-nation event featuring SA, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina would be played in the city for three years until 2027. With one more tournament set to be hosted at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Foote and his team would like to see an extension of that deal after crowds of 11,000 and 10,000 turned up to watch the opening two days of the 2026 event. We hope this tournament stays here in Gqeberha forever, so please make a plan. “We hope this tournament stays here in Gqeberha forever, so please make a plan,” Foote said. “This is an absolutely amazing stadium. I am in the coaches’ box, and I cannot hear what is going on because everybody is screaming and shouting. The music and entertainment is also fantastic “We are really grateful to be here in Gqeberha and the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a very special place for us. It is just brilliant being here, and the facilities have been awesome. All the coaches from New Zealand, Australia and Argentina have said what a pleasure it is to be here.” Junior Springbok captain Riley Norton said passionate Gqeberha fans helped to push his team to victory over Argentina and Australia. “It means a lot playing at home,” he said. “You feel the crowd, and it pushes you to give more for the guy next to you. “The Junior Boks have been on overseas tours, but nothing beats playing at home in front of your own supporters. The team can hear them cheering and singing the national anthem and the Junior Boks are incredibly grateful for them.” In 2025 almost 15,000 fans flocked to the stadium to watch the final day of the tournament, and organisers are hoping for an even bigger turnout to watch the Junior Boks on Saturday. SA have a five-point lead at the top of the log ahead of their final match against New Zealand after they thrashed Australia 56-17 on Sunday. Alexander said it was decided the U20 Rugby Championship tournament would stay in Gqeberha for three years after the inaugural tournament in 2025 proved to be a resounding success. At one stage there are plans to expand the four-nation mini World Cup event and turn it into a two-week festival of rugby, which will include schools from Gqeberha and the Border region. The Eastern Cape has a rich rugby culture and a passionate fan base. SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer said it was remarkable that 15,000 fans flocked to Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for the final round of matches in 2025. “The region showed it is ready for big events,” he said. “We had 15,000 people here for an U20 tournament, which is remarkable, and we are very happy with that. “The Eastern Cape has a rich rugby culture and a passionate fan base. The combination of top-notch facilities at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and superb accommodation and training options, coupled with the enthusiastic support of the people of the Eastern Cape, makes this a memorable experience for everyone involved.” Sanzaar CEO Brendan Morris said: “Following the success of the tournament in Gqeberha in 2025, Sanzaar is pleased the 2026 U20 Rugby Championship is again in South Africa. “As in previous years, the tournament will provide a vital pathway for up-and-coming rugby talent through exposure to essential international competition and provide development opportunities for the next generation of coaches, team management and match officials.” Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

Mthethwa said the squad were in high spirits ahead of the New Zealand clash, which is expected to draw a big crowd.

“The coaches and management have done a fantastic job of keeping the players’ morale high,” he said. “Tuesday was a vital recovery day because the boys were involved in a very physical battle against Australia last Sunday.

“Returning to the training field, the focus was palpable. Despite the wet weather, there was great clarity and attention to detail from the guys.

“The rivalry between SA and New Zealand is legendary. We have immense respect for them, and Saturday offers our players the incredible opportunity to face the haka and test themselves against our greatest rugby rivals.

“It doesn’t get bigger than this. With both teams in contention to win the tournament, it adds a massive extra dimension to the occasion. We are well aware of the quality New Zealand brings.

Confusion over the bonus points system in place for the U20 Rugby Championship tournament saw the Junior Springboks embarrassingly being crowned champions prematurely on Sunday night. Though the Junior Boks go into their final league against the All Blacks with a handsome five-point lead on top of the log, it is mathematically possible they could be overtaken. For that to happen, the Junior Boks would have to implode dramatically against the Baby Blacks at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 4.10pm). In reality the Boks already have one firm hand on the trophy and only require a bonus point to seal a historic first U20 Rugby Championship triumph. The Boks also have the safety cushion of a superior 69-point difference between themselves and the New Zealanders. The Junior Boks have 10 points on the standings after a 48-21 win over Argentina and a 56-17 victory against Australia in the opening rounds. It leaves an outside chance that New Zealand, on five points thanks to a bonus point 34-29 win over Australia in round 1, could still sneak in against all the odds. Argentina also have five log points after scoring four tries against New Zealand in a 25-17 win in round 2. The senior Rugby Championship awards a bonus point for a team scoring three more tries than the other and not just the standard four tries for a bonus point. After Sunday’s game, the host television broadcaster highlighted SA’s position, marking a six-point gap between the Junior Boks and second-placed New Zealand. SA Rugby then sent out a release saying the Junior Boks had been crowned champions. Another release was sent out on Monday, saying: “With one round to go, the Junior Boks only need a bonus point against New Zealand to seal the U20 Rugby Championship title.” It has emerged Sanzaar opted to change the try-scoring bonus point rules ahead of the 2026 U20 tournament, reverting to the old rules of awarding a bonus point for scoring four tries and not for scoring three tries or more than an opponent. Evidently this information wasn’t relayed to officials and media until the second round of the competition. Over the past two seasons, the rules of the U20 Rugby Championship have been the same as the senior tournament. Try-scoring bonus points have been awarded to teams that have scored three or more tries than their opponents. Log (all teams have played two matches) South Africa 10; Argentina 5; New Zealand 5; Australia 2. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

“We are incredibly grateful to Sanzaar and SA Rugby for staging this tournament. It has been a privilege staying in Gqeberha, and the hospitality and support from the Eastern Cape public have been top-class.

“We have one more game, against a great opponent, and we hope the fans come out in their numbers to back us on Saturday.”

All eyes on ‘The Tank’

SA’s wrecking-ball centre, Ethan “The Tank” Adams, will be gunning to add to his tally of three tries on Saturday.

Head coach Kevin Foote says Kareedouw-born Adams is cherishing every opportunity he gets to pull on the green and gold jersey and play international rugby in front of his family, friends and a passionate crowd at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Crowd-favourite Adams, who scored two tries against Argentina and another against Australia during SA’s opening wins, will be a dangerman for New Zealand to contend with. The centre, who weighs in at 102kg and stands 1.75m, has proved to be too hot to handle for opposition defences during his team’s opening two games.

Asked about the 19-year-old Adams receiving a standing ovation from the 10,000-strong Gqeberha crowd on Sunday when the Boks beat Australia, Foote said: “The whole team put in a massive effort, and I think Ethan is a very special talent, and he is built for rugby.

“He comes from the Eastern Cape, so I know this means a lot to him to play in front of his family and fans. Ethan has a great future ahead of him.

“Our job is not just about performance but developing individuals as people and rugby players, and I think Ethan is really maturing.

Despite comfortably wrapping up the U20 Rugby Championship title with a match to spare, there will be no slacking off in the Junior Springbok ranks when they face arch-rivals New Zealand in Gqeberha on Saturday, skipper Riley Norton says. The on-fire Boks lifted the title for the first time on Sunday thanks to an emphatic bonus point win over Argentina and Australia in the opening two rounds of the four-team tournament at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Norton warned that if the Baby Boks were lulled into a sense of false security, they would come unstuck against a powerful New Zealand side (kickoff 4.10pm). The Baby Blacks’ hopes of successfully defending their title were shattered when they crashed to a shock defeat against an energised Argentina side on Sunday. A wary Norton is expecting the wounded New Zealanders to come out with guns blazing as they attempt to salvage lost pride in Saturday’s tournament finale. “If you take your foot off the gas against a team like New Zealand, they will punish you,” he warned. “The Junior Boks want to finish this tournament properly and keep on improving. “You will naturally be up for a game against New Zealand, because they are one of our biggest rivals and we have a lot of respect for them. “If we take our foot off the pedal now, rugby can come back and bite you. “We must go even harder and push ourselves and finish off this tournament with a lot of pride.” Norton thanked the partisan 10,000 crowd who cheered the Boks to victory over the Wallabies for their unwavering support. “People have come out in big numbers for the opening two rounds and you don’t want to disappoint them or ourselves in the final round on Saturday,” he said. “There is a lot of motivation in the team, so I don’t think that [complacency] will be a factor at all in our final game. “The Junior Boks want to finish as best as we can and keep on improving. “I know on points we have won the Rugby Championship, but we want to finish off the tournament with a proper showing. “Winning any tournament is great and you have to embrace those moments because in rugby you never know when they will come again. “Last year lifting the World Cup trophy after a 12-year wait was extremely special. “I think this one in front of our home crowd will be equally as special on Saturday. “Our job now is to prepare well for the week ahead and look and see what New Zealand will offer on Saturday. “You can never count them out because they are an unbelievable team. “Only after the match will we look at lifting the trophy. “For us, it’s about character and care when we play for South Africa. “The off-field connection has been unbelievable, and that carries onto the field. “We’ve got an awesome group of guys who are willing to sacrifice for each other. “It means a lot playing at home here in Gqeberha. “You feel the crowd, and it pushes you to give more for the guy next to you.” Thanks to the commanding 56-17 bonus point win over the Junior Wallabies, the Boks opened an unbeatable lead at the top of the log ahead of the final round of matches. After beating Australia in their opening match, New Zealand crashed to a shock 25-17 loss against Argentina in Sunday’s early second-round match. Saturday’s fixtures: 2pm: Argentina vs Australia; 4.10pm: Junior Boks vs New Zealand. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

“Ethan has settled nicely into the squad and he brings a lot of good energy and backs that up with good performances. He has a long future ahead of him and we must make sure we keep him grounded.”

Adams says he modelled his game on two-time World Cup winner Damian de Allende and All Black great Ma’a Nonu. “There wasn’t just one person I looked up to,” he said.

Saturday’s fixtures

• 2pm: Argentina vs Australia;
• 4.10pm: Junior Boks vs New Zealand

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