The Junior Springboks have made minor tweaks to their starting lineup for the Junior World Championship final, where they will face France as they look to successfully defend their title on Saturday.
With a suspension hanging over the head of ace fullback Luan Giliomee, head coach Kevin Foote opted for stability, bringing in Alzeadon Felix as cover. The rest of the backline for the clash at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium (6.30pm kick-off) remains unchanged from the side that defeated England in the semi-finals.
Giliomee, who was shown a red card for a tackle in the air against England, had to leave training to attend his disciplinary hearing, and that forced Foote’s hand to make a tweak at the back for the final.
Up front, there are only two changes, with Risima Khosa coming in at openside flank, while Wasi Vyambwera takes over the No 8 jersey from Gert Kemp, who is expected to make an impact off the bench.
“We are still waiting on Luan’s hearing, but we thought it would be best to go with a settled team,” Foote said in an online press conference.
“There was a lot of work that went into Luan’s appeal. We asked for it to be brought forward. He had to leave training early, and we are waiting on that verdict. But as I said, we are looking for stability, and Alzeadon played for us in the Rugby Championship, and he was part of the squad at the Championship last year. He has an awesome connection with Yaqeen (Ahmed, flyhalf).
“We want it to run its course, and once we know, we will know. But either way, we wish that Luan gets off and that the team can move forward.”
On the match itself, Foote said they are preparing to be tested in all departments by a very good French side. He expects a physical battle, as in all their previous matches, but with a bit more flair than they have encountered so far.
The Junior Boks plan to counter that with their own brand of running rugby and forward power.
“We want to use our set-piece to launch from. However, we know if the game gets loose, France will like that. They are an offloading team and like a bit of broken play. So, we want to stay within our structure and play how we want to; physical and fast.
“In this tournament, we’ve had some really good rugby, and at other times we let things go a little bit. Now, we must ensure we stay on top of our game. We’ve addressed some of our shortcomings, and the players are confident.”
Junior Springboks XV
15 Alzeadon Felix, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 Markus Muller, 12 Ethan Adams, 11 Khuthadzo Rasivhaga, 10 Yaqeen Ahmed, 9 Hendré Schoeman, 8 Wasi Vyambwera, 7 Luke Cannon, 6 Risima Khosa, 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Heinrich Theron, 3 Danie Kruger, 2 Siphosethu Mnebelele, 1 Oliver Reid.
Replacements: 16 Liam van Wyk, 17 Rambo Kubheka, 18 Luan van der Berg, 19 Jaythen Orange, 20 Thomas Beling, 21 Gert Kemp, 22 Jayden Brits, 23 Samuel Badenhorst.
