DURBAN – The South African Rugby Union have yet to confirm a successor to former Junior Springbok coach Dawie Theron, but the governing body are nevertheless getting an early start to preparations for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship that will kick off in Georgia in late May.
This week, SA Rugby acting high performance manager Louis Koen will facilitate conditioning assessment camps around the country involving 86 players. Speed, strength and conditioning levels will be tested and a trimmed down Junior Bok training squad will subsequently be named.
Theron’s successor will not be short of talent. Utility back Curwin Bosch, who was a nominee for the Player of the Tournament last year, and Zain Davids are among 11 players who featured for the Junior Boks in 2016.
Davids is in the Springbok Sevens squad for the imminent Wellington and Sydney World Sevens Series tournaments.
The other players invited to the camps who participated in last year’s World Under-20 in Manchester are utility back Stedman Gans, flyhalf Manie Libbok, scrumhalf Embrose Papier, prop Kwenzo Blose, flyhalf Benhard Janse van Rensburg, loose forward Ernst van Rhyn, locks Cobus Wiese and Ruben de Villiers and prop Carlü Sadie.
Also under scrutiny are 12 SA Schools players from 2016, including captain and lock Salmaan Moerat, flyhalf Damian Willemse, centre Manuel Rass and fullback Gianni Lombard.
“This is the first step in assembling a Junior Springbok squad that will enter the World Rugby Under-20 Championship with high expectations in Georgia later this year,” said SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux.
“Given the talent on offer, I believe we will be able to put together a top-class squad for the tournament.”
The SA Under-20s will face France, hosts Georgia and Argentina in the pool stages of the tournament in Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 31, June 4 and June 8 respectively.