Junior Boks must stay wide awake for full 80 minutes, says Foote

Staying wide awake and maintaining focus for the full 80 minutes will be a work-on for the Junior Boks as they look ahead to their final U20 International Series clash against a physical Georgia side on Saturday, coach Kevin Foote says.

A rampant SA team, who are preparing for the Junior Word Cup, stayed on the winning track when they thrashed Fiji 82–25 at Wynberg Boys’ High School in Cape Town on Tuesday.

SA led 56-11 at halftime and ran in 12 tries against the outplayed Fijians.

Tuesday’s victory followed a runaway 97-0 win over Chile on the opening day of the four-team tournament in Cape Town.

Foote said while his team controlled large portions of the contest, there was still work to be done in maintaining focus for the full 80 minutes.

“We will make changes for the Georgia match,” he said.

“It’s been important for us to expose players and build depth.

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 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. U20 International Series fixtures Tuesday at Wynberg Boys’ High School, Cape Town: 1pm: Chile v Georgia; 3pm: South Africa v Fiji. Saturday at Markötter Stadium, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch: 2.30pm: South Africa v Georgia; 4.30pm: Fiji v Chile. — Additional reporting SA Rugby Communications Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

“Georgia will be physical and passionate, and it’s another great step for us as we build towards the Junior World Champs.

“We’ve got a lot of depth in this group and players are really putting their hands up across the board.”

Vusi Moyo, who captained SA against Fiji, hailed his side’s growing maturity and cohesion after another big win.

“We spoke a lot this week about having a strong Test-match mentality and improving our maturity in how we manage the game, and I think that definitely showed against Fiji.

“The guys are excited for what’s ahead and to show how good this team can be.”

“I’ve learnt a lot from the leaders around me, such as Riley Norton and Esethu Mnebelele and I’m just trying to implement what I’ve gained.”

Moyo, who is in his second season with the Junior Boks, says their strong bond in the team ahead of the World Cup.

“We’ve got a special group and the bond in this team is something I really value and I am enjoying myself.”

Asked about a lapse of concentration at the end, Moyo said: “That’s something we’ll definitely look at.

Players who starred in the Junior Springboks’ triumph at the U-20 Rugby Championship tournament in Gqeberha have been given an extra week’s rest before an international series against Chile, Fiji and Georgia in Cape Town from May 21 to 31. Junior Boks head coach, Kevin Foote, said the selected group reflects their focus on immediate performance and long-term player development, as the national U-20s continue to build depth and manage player workloads before the 2026 Junior World Championship. Looking ahead to the fixtures, Foote said the coaching staff would use the opportunity to rotate the squad and assess depth in key positions. 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. The first batch of the squad will assemble on Monday at their Stellenbosch Academy of Sports base, while players who carried a heavy workload in Gqeberha recently will be given an extra week of rest. The squad features players who attended the previous two Junior Bok training camps, the short tour to Georgia and the U20 Rugby Championship, won by SA, while Quintin Potgieter (loose forward) is a new addition. “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.” The SA U20 coach said the squad has been selected with the immediate and longer-term in mind, with the Junior Boks intent on maintaining their growth and cohesion, remaining competitive, and broadening the player base with this year’s JWC and the 2027 cycle in mind. “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,” Foote said. The three-match series also provides an opportunity to manage the workload of several established players while integrating the return of several others who did not play a part in the U20 Rugby Championship because of injury or their involvement in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Regular captain Riley Norton (lock) and Zekhethelo Siyaya (utility back), who were recently included in the Springbok alignment camp squad, are unavailable 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. Junior Boks squad to assemble in Stellenbosch on Monday: Forwards: Jordan Jooste (Stormers), Kai Pratt (Sharks), Mahle Sithole (Lions), Altus Rabe (Stormers), Luan van der Berg (Bulls), Bongani Dlamini (Bulls), Jaythen Orange (Lions), JD Hattingh (Lions), Thomas Beling (Bulls), Risima Khosa (Lions), Quintin Potgieter (Stormers), Vuyo Gwiji (Lions), Gert Kemp (Stormers). Backs: Jayden Brits (Stormers), Jandrian Goosen (Bulls), Vusi Moyo (Sharks), Luan Giliomee (Sharks), Jordan Steenkamp (Stormers), Lindsey Jansen (Sharks), Pieter van der Merwe (Bulls), Olunje Mehlomakulu (Stormers), Christian Vorster (Bulls), Jade Muller (CUT), Junaide Stuart (Bulls), Akahluwa Boqwana (Bulls), Alzeadon Felix (Lions). Squad members to assemble in Stellenbosch on May 25: Forwards: Oliver Reid (Stormers), Rambo Kubheka (Sharks), Liam van Wyk (Sharks), Danie Kruger (Stormers), Heinrich Theron (Bulls), Riley Norton (Stormers), Kebotile Maake (Bulls), Luke Cannon (Lions), Wasi Vyambwera (Sharks). Backs: Hendré Schoeman (Bulls), Yaqeen Ahmed (Stormers), Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (Sharks), Ethan Adams (Lions), Samuel Badenhorst (Stormers), Jack Benade (Stormers), Zekhethelo Siyaya (Sharks). U20 International Series fixtures: May 21: Georgia vs Fiji, South Africa vs Chile May 26: Chile vs Georgia, South Africa vs Fiji May 31: Fiji vs Chile, South Africa vs Georgia Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

“It’s an area we can go back and work on. But Fiji deserve credit as they tested us, and that’s important for our growth.”

Such was their dominance, that the SA U20s scored eight converted tries before the break, with Luan Giliomee crossing in the second and 41st minutes, while Gert Kemp was driven over twice from lineouts, with the Fijians providing hardly any resistance.

Quintin Potgieter also scored from a lineout drive before Christian Vorster and Luke Cannon added their names to the first-half score sheet to make it 28-5 after 21 minutes.

JD Hattingh’s 37th minute maul try was almost a carbon copy of Kemp’s two efforts in the eight minutes before, and to add insult to injury, Moyo, the SA U20 captain on the day, was perfect from the tee.

Giliomee completed his hat-trick early in the second half and Moyo missed his first (and only) kick of the game, but it was clear the Fijians were given a proper half-time talk as they came out firing.

The visitors tested the Junior Boks’ defence and even won two consecutive scrum penalties, but their finishing in the red zone let them down.

Fifteen minutes after the break, the Junior Boks scored their second try of the half when Bongani Dlamini crashed over after some fluent attacking play, as the Fijian revival seemed to be over.

In the first match of the day, Georgia beat a resurgent Chile 59-26.

Scorers:

Junior Springboks 82: Tries: Luan Giliomee (3), Quintin Potgieter, Christian Vorster, Luke Cannon, Gert Kemp (2), JD Hattingh, Bongani Dlamini, Luann Olivier, Jaythen Orange. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (11).

Fiji U20 25: Tries: Suliano Savenaca, Apete Rokosuka, Penalty try. Conversion: Netani Lesimaimatuku. Penalty goals: Sikeli Bari (2).

Additional reporting by SA Rugby Communications

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