Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote says it will be a challenge to finalise the 30-man squad for the Junior World Championship.
The tournament in Georgia starts in just under a month’s time, with South Africa looking to defend the title they won in Italy last year.
The Junior Boks rounded off the U20 International Series with a 57-14 win over Georgia in Stellenbosch on Saturday. That followed earlier runaway victories over Chile and Fiji.
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“This series has been incredibly valuable,” Foote said. “It gave us the opportunity to blood new players, reintegrate others, and bring some guys back from injury.
“Now the challenge is narrowing the group to 30 players – and that’s not going to be easy, given the talent we have available.”
Foote stressed that selection for the tournament was not simply based on individual performances.
“We look closely at combinations and continuity,” he explained. “At the same time, players must be ready to perform at the highest level. The next two weeks will be crucial in ensuring that everyone is fully prepared.”
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Junior Boks lock and captain Riley Norton said: “We’re in a really good place as a group. There’s been a demanding schedule, but we’ve also had the opportunity to recover properly. The squad is feeling confident and united.”
Looking ahead, Norton acknowledged the importance of the physical test provided by Georgia.
“They’re a proud rugby nation and very physical,” he said. “They never go away, and we know playing them in their own backyard in a few weeks will be an even bigger challenge.”
Foote added: “It was a very physical test. Georgia are strong at set piece and collisions, and they’ve got a lot of pride. This is exactly the kind of challenge we needed.”
South Africa are grouped with Georgia, Wales and Uruguay in Pool A at the Junior World Championship.
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
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Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote says it will be a challenge to finalise the 30-man squad for the Junior World Championship.
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