Junior Boks coach rings changes for U-20 clash against Aussies

Rising Bulls star JF van Heerden will lead the Junior Springboks in their second U-20 Rugby Championship match against hosts Australia at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Brisbane on Tuesday.

The big lock forward, who has already featured in the United Rugby Championship for Jake White’s senior Bulls team, takes over the leadership from Zachary Porthen, who picked up a hand injury in the Junior Boks’ 13-13 draw with New Zealand in round one of the competition last week.

There are several other changes to the South African team that did duty against the “Baby All Blacks”. In total, there are nine changes and a positional switch to the starting XV, with a further six changes on the bench.

Opportunity to play

Coach of the Junior Boks, Bafana Nhleko said the changes were due to the side having to play three big games in 12 days and giving all the squad members an opportunity to play.

He added his team would have to step it up from their opening match last week. Australia will also be out to hit back after going down to Argentina in their round one game.

“They would feel that they perhaps didn’t get the reward for their efforts against an Argentine side that were clinical on the day, so they would want to rectify that against us, and we must be ready to meet that challenge,” said Nhleko.

“It seems we are in for more rain on match day, but we would like to build pressure with the ball and to get our attack systems going, for that to happen, we must improve in looking after the ball.”

The match against the Australian U-20s kicks off at 11am (SA time) on Tuesday and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Junior Springboks: Michail Damon, Joshua Boulle, Jurenzo Julius, Philip-Albert van Niekerk, Litelihle Bester, Thurlon Williams, Asad Moos, Tiaan Jacobs, Keanu Coetsee, Divan Fuller, JF van Heerden (capt), Bathobele Hlekani, Reno Hirst, Ethan Bester, Mbasa Maqubela. Bench: CJ Erasmus, Liyema Ntshanga, Casper Badenhorst, Adam de Waal, Thabang Mphafi, Hassiem Pead, Bruce Sherwood, JC Mars