Curwin Bosch, Zain Davids and Salmaan Moerat all feature in a 50-man Junior Springbok training squad named by SA Rugby on Tuesday as the preparations begin to take shape for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Georgia from May 31 to June 18.
Bosch and Davids are among nine players who participated in the tournament in Manchester last year, where the Junior Springboks finished in fourth place, while Moerat is one of six SA Schools team players from 2016 in the training squad.
Stedman Gans, Manie Libbok, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Embrose Papier, Cobus Wiese, Ruben de Villiers, Ernst van Rhyn and Carlü Sadie played for the Junior Boks with Bosch and Davids in 2016.
Moerat, who captained the SA Schools side last year, will be joined by 2016 teammates Gianni Lombard, Manuel Rass, Wandisile Simelane, Damian Willemse and Muller Uys.
A total of 86 players were invited to two assessment camps last month in Pretoria and Stellenbosch, where the players participated in a series of speed and strength tests and underwent medical screening.
The first training camp will be in Stellenbosch from March 5-17, whereafter the squad will be trimmed down to 28 players in April for the international showpiece, which kicks off in May.
Western Province Craven Week star flyhalf Damian Willemse.
“This is a talented group of players, and we can’t wait to start the real hard work in the lead-up to the World Rugby U20 Championship,” said Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux.
“The players who were selected really worked hard, which is very pleasing. They were aware of the fitness and strength standards required at this level of the game at the conclusion of the assessment camps, and we are proud of the work they put in to achieve that.
“But that was only the first step in what will be a mentally and physically challenging journey to possibly secure a place in the final 28-man squad.
“Over the next two months, we will be working hard to put our structures and systems in place and to reach the desired fitness and strength requirements we would like to achieve as a team.
“We have exactly three months to get the team ready before their opening match, which is not much time, especially if one considers that the U20 Six Nations teams are at an advanced stage of their season. But that said, we are excited about the challenge ahead, and we believe the players will be up for it.”
This camp will be followed by a tour to the central unions from March 26 to April 9, which will feature warm-up matches against the Griffons in Welkom on Friday, March 31, Griquas in Kimberley on Wednesday, April 5 and Free State Cheetahs on Saturday, April 8.
The Junior Springboks will play another two further warm-up matches, against the Varsity Cup Dream Team on Tuesday, April 25, and Western Province on Tuesday, May 9, in Stellenbosch during their third training camp, which runs from April 18 to May 12.
They will conclude their preparations for the tournament with a holding camp in Stellenbosch from May 21-25.
Junior Springbok training squad
Props:
Kwenzo Blose (Cheetahs), Wikus Groenewald (WP), Leo Kruger (Lions), Andrew Kuhn (Cheetahs), Lee-Marvin Mazibuko (WP), Khutu Mchunu (Sharks), Mashao Mukhari (Bulls), Carlü Sadie (WP), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Abram Venter (Cheetahs).
Hookers:
Abraham Coetzee (Cheetahs), Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Marnus van der Merwe (Cheetahs), HP van Schoor (Lions).
Locks:
Ruben de Villers (WP), Salmaan Moerat (WP), Reinhard Nothnagel (Lions), Hendre Stassen (Bulls), Ruben van Heerden (Bulls), Cobus Wiese (WP).
Loose forwards:
Juarno Augustus (WP), Jaco Bezuidenhout (Bulls), Hacjivah Dayimani (Lions), Zain Davids (WP), Eduan Lubbe (Bulls), Len Massyn (Lions), Kuyenzeka Xaba (WP), Muller Uys (WP), Ernst van Rhyn (WP).
Scrumhalves:
Francois de Villiers (Sharks), Embrose Papier (Bulls), Bradley Thain (Lions), Wayne van der Bank (Lions), Jondré Williams (WP).
Flyhalves:
Curwin Bosch (Sharks), Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Sharks), Manie Libbok (Bulls), Damian Willemse (WP).
Centres:
Irvin Ali (Bulls), Heino Bezuidenhout (Bulls), Stedman Gans (Bulls), Manuel Rass (Lions), Wandisile Simelane (Lions), Cornel Smit (WP).
Wings:
Ciaran Dayaram (Bulls), Ilunga Mukendi (Sharks), Mfundo Ndhlovu (Sharks), Michael Tambwe (Lions).
Fullbacks:
Gianni Lombard (Lions), Yaw Penxe (EP).