NZ clash not dead rubber as Junior Boks eye title, says Norton

Though the Junior Boks have all but bagged the U20 Rugby Championship trophy, Saturday’s clash against arch-rivals New Zealand should not be downgraded as a meaningless dead rubber fixture, SA skipper Riley Norton says.

Despite enjoying a seemingly unshakeable grip on the title, a wary Norton says the Boks will not be taking their foot off the pedal against a dangerous Baby Blacks team at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (kickoff 4.10pm).

With a handsome five-point lead at the top of the log, there is only a remote mathematical possibility of the Baby Boks being overtaken on the final day of the tournament.

For that to happen, SA would have to suffer a meltdown and crash to a heavy defeat against the New Zealanders, who were beaten by Argentina in the second round.

The Boks’ inspirational leader says he will have no problem in firing up his team for the clash because no game against New Zealand can ever be described as irrelevant.

“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.”

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

Norton says the Junior Boks will be looking to improve their breakdown play when they bid to end the U20 Rugby Championship tournament on a high.

The Boks swept to convincing wins over Argentina and Australia in the opening rounds to put themselves at the top of the log.

Asked about losing the ball at breakdown against Australia, Norton said: “Credit to Australia, and I thought they had good tacklers, and they got on top of the ball when we were loose.

“I think this is a factor going into the match against the All Blacks.

“They will look at that and take some notes, but we do pride ourselves on our breakdown and sometimes on the day it can misfire.

“But I don’t think it even misfired against Australia.

“To put 57 points on the board shows you must be doing something right.

“I think because of the attacking brand of rugby that we continuously want to play, when we show our hand in the backs, there are sometimes opportunities for the opposition to get on the ball.

“Maybe it is something we can look at ahead of the New Zealand clash.

“For us it’s about character and care.

“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.”

SA head coach Kevin Foote praised his team after the Junior Boks thrashed Australia 56-17.

“There was a huge improvement,” he said.

“I think the whole squad showed what it means to play for South Africa. We showed grit, and I’m super proud of everyone.

“Our preparation was excellent, and the leadership from Riley and the senior guys was really good.

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

“Our DNA is physicality, but it’s also skill.

“You see the physicality in the breakdowns and how we want to play. This team plays with pride.

“Our discipline has also been excellent, and we haven’t had a card in this competition yet, which is massive.”

Saturday’s fixtures:

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

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