Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote has explained why Luan Giliomee was not selected for the Junior World Championship final despite being cleared to play.
The utility back became available for selection after his red card against England in the semi-final was overturned by the Foul Play Review Committee, but Foote elected to stick with Alzeadon Felix at fullback for Saturday night’s showdown with France.
“The selection thing has been so tough,” Foote said after the Junior Boks’ 16-5 victory. “We had already finished training in preparation for the final and Luan hadn’t finished his hearing.
“One thing we wanted to do was take a very balanced and settled squad into the final and none of that hanging above our heads.
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“Look, I’ll always feel bad that Luan missed out, and I know he’ll go super far [in his career],” he said.
“But just having Felix, who played in the U20 Rugby Championship, came to the Junior World Championship with us last year, and his combination with some of the backs was really important. I thought he was outstanding tonight.
“Again, I really feel bad about Luan, but I just felt having the team settled and ready to play was the most important thing.”
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Photo: @SAJuniorRugby/X
The post Why Junior Boks didn’t play Giliomee appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote has explained why Luan Giliomee was not selected for the Junior World Championship final despite being cleared to play.
The post Why Junior Boks didn’t play Giliomee appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
