Junior Boks face depth test for World Championships after senior call-ups, injury and suspensions

Lock Riley Norton and flyhalf Vusi Moyo look set to make their Test debuts for the senior Springboks sometime in the next month after being included in Rassie Erasmus’ Nations Championship squad.

That two current Junior Boks are deemed good enough for Test selection against the likes of England, Wales and Scotland says something about their individual talents, and about the system that produced them.

It also provided a headache for Junior Bok coach Kevin Foote, because he has two very sizeable holes in his squad to fill for the defence of their Junior World Championship title in Georgia in the coming weeks.

Norton was set to captain the Junior Boks in Tbilisi, and Moyo was one of the vice-captains.

Neither will be there, and while Foote said the right things about being proud of the players, his mandate is to win trophies. Losing two of his key personnel just three days before departure was not ideal.

It didn’t help that injuries also robbed the Junior Boks of brilliant 18-year-old utility back Zekhethelo Siyaya.

The fullback/wing/flyhalf sustained concussion and a facial injury during a freak collision in the SA ‘A’ clash against Zimbabwe at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium last weekend.

Tough prop Kai Pratt was also ruled out of the tournament, but on the plus side, last year star schoolboy centres Markus Muller and Ethan Adams are both in the squad.

“Everyone in the Junior Bok set-up is delighted for Riley and Vusi, and we wish them well for the Nations Championship,” said Foote. “It is every young player’s dream to represent the Springboks, and they thoroughly deserve their opportunity.”

Flyhalf conundrum

Foote’s problems were compounded because not only did he lose Moyo, but the squad’s other flyhalf, Yaqeen Ahmed.

The brilliantly talented Ahmed, who started all three games in South Africa’s U20 Rugby Championship success earlier this year, won’t be able to play in the Junior Boks’ first two games of the World Championships due to suspension.

Ahmed, playing for SA ‘A’ against Zimbabwe in Gqeberha, received a red card for a reckless tackle and has been suspended for two matches. It means he is ineligible for games against Uruguay and hosts Georgia.

From being able to choose between two of the best U20 flyhalves in the world, Foote was suddenly left scrambling for options.

Fortunately, the pipeline that is producing this slew of quality players is also one that is producing all-rounders.

Luan Giliomee, who has started at fullback for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship, and who also started at fullback for SA ‘A’, will wear No 10 in the opening stages of the World Championships.

Foote has also included utility back Alzeadon Felix, who has operated at flyhalf in the Varsity Cup and for Free State. Ahmed should be back for the third game against Wales and hopefully for the semi-final after that.

There were a slew of Junior Boks in the SA ‘A’ side against Zimbabwe, including new skipper and hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele, prop Oliver Reid, Muller and Giliomee.

“They made us proud with their performances. Their involvement in Gqeberha shows that we are on track in preparing the next generation of South African internationals,” Foote said.

“Injuries and call-ups to senior honours are part of the game. Fortunately, we planned for these scenarios, and the players brought into the squad are well integrated into our environment and game model. We are confident in our preparation and excited for the challenge ahead.”

Good preparation

The Junior Boks could not have asked for a better build-up to the defence of their title. The South African Rugby Union (Saru) has spared little expense in preparing the team.

In addition to several camps, the Junior Boks toured Georgia earlier in the year and won both games against the Junior Lelos.

They won the first 35-0 and the second 35-5 to lay down a marker.

That was followed by a successful Rugby Championship where South Africa won the title for the first time.

After thumping Argentina 48-21 and Australia 56-17 in their first two games of the Rugby Championship, SA only needed one log point against New Zealand to win the title.

But the match unfolded in an uncomfortable way and in the end a 29-29 draw was a fair outcome as New Zealand sent a timely reminder to the South Africans that they can take nothing for granted.

After winning that tournament the Junior Boks hosted Chile, Georgia and Fiji in a tour-team competition in Cape Town in May.

It gave Foote another chance to rotate his squad heavily, and he was able to give several fringe players more game time. The results and performances were impressive.

A 97-0 win over Chile set the tone, and there was a less impressive 82-25 win over Fiji and a good 56-17 victory against Georgia.

Considering they meet Georgia in round two at the World Championships, the intelligence gleaned from the previous three outings will be invaluable.

Last weekend, in a World Championship warm-up, Georgia defeated New Zealand U20s 22-19 for a famous first win.

It really does feel that the clash between SA and Georgia will decide the pool at the World Championships.

Deep squad

In the end Foote has been able to pick a powerful squad despite injuries and senior Bok call-ups. There are several survivors from last year’s World Championship win in Italy, which means the Junior Boks are now undefeated for 14 matches, dating back to the 2025 Rugby Championship.

New skipper Mnebelele credited Norton for setting an excellent example as a leader, saying he had learned a great deal from both Norton and Moyo.

“The way they carried themselves over the past two years has been a real motivating factor for me,” said Mnebelele.

“I am close to both Riley and Vusi, and I have seen the hard work they’ve put in to get where they are.

“It is such an honour to be selected as captain of this talented group of players. I believe we have a strong leadership group, and that will be a tremendous help to me as team captain.”

However, the new Junior Bok skipper is under no illusions about the challenge that lies ahead in the coming weeks: “We expect every team to be competitive and to pose a real challenge. I believe we have prepared well over the past few weeks, and we are ready and excited for the tournament.” DM