It’s not all about the Springboks this weekend as women and Junior Boks face stern challenges

While the world-champion Springboks rightly hog the majority of rugby headlines in South Africa at this time of year, this is a big weekend for two other national teams.

The Junior Springboks meet England in a decisive Pool A clash at the World Rugby U20 Championships in Rovigo on Friday and the Bok Women face Canada at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

For the Bok Women it’s a massive outing in the context of measuring their development as a team with an eye to the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which starts in August.

They have set themselves the goal of qualifying for the quarterfinals at the global showpiece, which would be a huge leap forward after being eliminated at the group stage in the 2021 World Cup (which was played in 2022 due to the Covid pandemic).

They lost all three matches in that tournament, but since then they have shown steady improvement.

And the past year, under coaches Swys de Bruin and Bafana Nhleko, their results, but more importantly, performances, have continued to improve.

Canada examination

The Bok women’s outing as a curtain-raiser to the Springboks versus Italy Test at Loftus is going to be a challenge.

Canada are the No 2-ranked team in the world and are expected to win, although for the South Africans, this is a chance to measure their development.

Just like the men, the Bok Women’s pack is becoming one of the most respected in the game. The backline’s development is a little less polished but as more women play professionally and even semi-professionally, the faster they will adapt to the technical and fitness demands needed at the highest level.

Having played against most of the Canadian team regularly in England, Springbok Women utility forward Catha Jacobs is in a good position to act as soundboard on her team’s opponents. 

Jacobs, who just completed a three-year stint with the Leicester Tigers Women, where she played with Canadian flyhalf Claire Gallagher – but also against 14 other Canadians plying their trade in the English league – had some good insights to share with the rest of the South African side. 

 “Individually, they are really skilful and one can see why – if you put them all in one team – they are No 2 in the world,” said Jacobs.

“That said, just as we know their strengths, we also know ours and if we have a good day, especially in the set-piece where we hope to dominate, we will be right up there.”

If there are any doubts about how tough this challenge for the Bok Women will be, consider that when the teams last met, in Madrid in 2023, Canada won 66-7.

Jacobs was red-carded early in the game on that occasion, which didn’t help matters. Two years have passed since that encounter and there is a quiet sense of determination that the Bok Women can make life a lot harder for the Canadians this weekend.

“That was my first red card ever and hopefully the last... To leave your teammates in limbo after just 12 minutes of such a great Test match was not something I want to experience again,” Jacobs said of that chastening experience.

“I know the Canadians will also have a chat about our team and what they have seen for the handful of us playing with them in England, and they will certainly know about our physicality.

“If they don’t, they should also know that we are a family and will certainly play for each other and, of course, our country.

“I think we have earned enough respect in recent times that they would also come into this match well prepared,” she said.

“There is a belief in our team that we are on the rise and Canada will give us a very good idea of how steep that rise is. That is what we hope to get from this, as being at our best and in the process taking the second-best team in the world to the wire.”

Junior Boks

After thrashing Australia 73-17 in their Pool A opener, which was a remarkable turnaround considering the Junior Boks lost 29-24 to the same opponents nine weeks before, there is understandable confidence.

But England are also brimming with confidence, having dismantled Scotland 56-19 in their opening game.

The clash between South Africa and England at 6pm on Friday is a Pool A decider. The format of the competition means the top team in each of the three pools qualifies for the semifinals, with the best second-placed team across the four groups taking the fourth spot.

One defeat doesn’t necessarily mean elimination, but it puts a team on the brink.

While England are the reigning junior world champions, their team has changed significantly from last year, although there are eight survivors.

In a sign of the Junior Boks’ growing maturity as a team, despite their 11-try rout of the Aussies, they chose to focus on where they could improve.

Exciting flyhalf Haashim Pead, who is the team vice-captain, emphasised the team’s focus.

“We have done our homework and prepared well for them. We respect England and we do expect them to play an exciting brand of rugby, as well as being solid with their kicking game,” said Pead.

“We are just going to stick to our DNA, which is our physicality, set-piece and kicking game. Myself and (flyhalf) Vusi Moyo have been training well for the past few months – I actually feel our connection is good and the way we connect with the rest of our teammates has been excellent so far.”

The livewire scrumhalf was quick to praise the effort of the hard-working South African forward pack: “Against Australia, the forwards provided us with an excellent platform, which we are grateful for, because at the end of the day rugby is a team sport and you can’t do anything without other people helping you.

 “A massive challenge and opportunity for us as a team against England, and we are excited to be involved in such a game,” said Pead. DM

The Junior Boks match will be televised at 6pm on SuperSport Rugby on Friday, 4 July.

The Bok women meet Canada at 1.30pm at Loftus Versfeld on 5 July. TV: SuperSport.