The Junior Springboks got their two-match tour against the Georgia Under-20s off to a winning start in Tbilisi on Sunday. But there are still a few things they will want to improve on when they take to the field for their second match of the tour on Friday, February 28.
Kevin Foote’s charges secured a 38-29 win at the Avchala Stadium after leading 26-17 at the break. The traveling side scored six tries and four conversions, while the hosts were hot on the South Africans’ heels in that department with five tries of their own.
A squad of 30 players departed South Africa for Georgia on Sunday for their two internationals. The group will return home on March 1.
In their first encounter on tour on February 19, the Baby Boks had a live training session against the Lelo Saracens club in the Georgian capital.
Junior Boks aim to tick as many boxes as possible on tour
While the Junior Boks achieved some of their objectives set out before their first match, the second fixture will be an opportunity to move even closer toward their goals.
Speaking to TelecomAsia Sport, Foote said that while getting the technical aspects right is important, they also want to ensure that their off-field goals are achieved.
We know we are building ourselves up to the World Cup in June/July, which is important. The main things we are looking to get right on this tour are around our set-piece, our skill execution, and our kicking game.
We are starting to really work hard on our attack and defence as well. One of the most important things is understanding what the DNA is of South African rugby and making sure that we play to our strengths. At the same time, we need to work on all aspects of our game and make sure that the fundamentals of both attack and defence are in place.
Off the field we want to ensure that we make great connections and that we are really living up to the ‘love’ culture and making sure that we always provide something for the people around us.
When we speak about love it’s not the feeling of love, it’s the action of love and making sure that as a team we connect really well and look after each other.
Set-piece a pleasing sight for SA coaches
Given the hosts well-known scrum power and, of course, South Africa’s prowess in that department, it’s only natural that Foote and co would want to be at their best come the shoving battle.
While there were some pressure moments in the first match against Georgia thanks to some ill-discipline from the Junior Boks, which saw the hosts make ground on the scoreboard, the one Foote and Co can be pleased with after the first run-out is the set-piece.
It has been a satisfying focus thus far, but it’s not just their efforts at the scrum that the Baby Boks mentor is happy with.
We definitely are happy (with how the set-pieces have gone against Lelo Saracens and in the preparation matches back home); we put a big emphasis on that. All the coaches, from Brok Harris at the scrum with the help of Lumumba (Currie) and Ackers (Johann Ackerman) in our lineout, I really am happy. I feel like our scrum stepped up again against the Lelo Saracens team, our maul and lineout are also coming along nicely.
Riley Norton, Kuhle [Mthimkhulu], Heinrich Theron, and Morné Venter are all really good lineout operators, I feel like we’re getting there. The set-piece is such a big part of our game, and to test it against the Georgians who have got such pride in their set-pieces is a really good preparation for us.
Junior Boks want to become a tighter unit
Other than producing positive results and executing what they’ve worked on during the preparatory period, the Junior Boks are also looking to strengthen their relationships within the group ahead of the big internationals coming up.
The South African Under-20 side are set to play in the 2025 editions of the Sanzaar-organised U20 Rugby Championship (April and May) and the World Rugby U20 Championship (June and July). The venues for both tournaments must still be confirmed.
It’s not only about the connection we have on the field, it’s so important that off the field we start to have some really deep conversations and we start to really understand each other and where we come from, who we play for, what South African rugby means to us, and what the badge means to us.
We will do a few more team buildings as we go; that’s what’s so nice about touring, you get to meet opposition that have the same values in rugby, but at the same time we get to spend quality time with each other in a different environment, so we are very grateful to SA Rugby for allowing us this opportunity and Georgia Rugby for hosting us.
The Junior Boks take on Georgia in the second and final match on Friday at 15:00 (SA time).
