MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Sport / Minor Tweaks to Junior Bok Side

Minor Tweaks to Junior Bok Side

The Junior Springbok starting fifteen to face England in their crucial World Rugby U20 Championship pool match in Rovigo on Friday show just one change from the side that defeated Australia last Sunday in Italy, with Gino Cupido replacing Demitre Erasmus, who is suffering from illness, at centre.

SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote has also made two tactical tweaks on the bench, with Ceano Everson (scrumhalf) and Dominic Malgas (utility) now amongst the replacements, in place of Erich Visser and Ian van der Merwe.

The rest of the players who gave such a commanding performance in Calvisano are retained for what promises to be another classic battle between the U20 teams of South Africa and England, who won the tournament last year after beating France in the final in Cape Town.

With lock Riley Norton again leading the side, Foote said there is a lot of excitement building for Friday’s important clash.

“There is a huge amount of excitement around Friday and the magnitude of this match,” said Foote.

“We know how important this is, playing against the defending champions. It’s an honour to be involved in such a game and a real challenge for us this week. We can’t wait for it.

“With Demitre suffering from a bit of heat stroke, we brought in Gino at outside centre, while Ceano and Dominic cover scrumhalf, centre and flyhalf on the bench.

“Demitre, Erich and Ian all played well against Australia, but we are going with a combination that we feel is well suited for us against England.”

In the aftermath of the Junior Boks’ resounding win over the young Wallabies, the South Africans emphasised the need to keep their feet firmly on the ground, especially with a huge challenge such as England looming next.

“We are very proud of the guys in terms of how focused and humble they’re staying after the victory over Australia, and just how hungry they are for the next challenge against England,” said Foote.

The Friday evening pool match, which kicks off at 18h00, will be broadcast live on SuperSport Rugby.

Junior Springbok team to face England in Rovigo:

15 Gilermo Mentoe

14 Cheswill Jooste

13 Gino Cupido

12 Albie Bester

11 Siyabonga Ndlozi

10 Vusi Moyo

9 Haashim Pead

8 Wandile Mlaba

7 Bathobele Hlekani

6 Xola Nyali

5 JJ Theron

4 Riley Norton (captain)

3 Herman Lubbe

2 Siphosethu Mnebelele

1 Simphiwe Ngobese

Replacements:

16 Jaundré Schoeman

17 Oliver Reid

18 Jean Erasmus

19 Jaco Grobbelaar

20 Matt Romao

21 Ceano Everson

22 Dominic Malgas

23 Jaco Williams

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Asif Karim of Kenya has played International cricket and Davis Cup (Tennis) for his countryAsif Karim

  2. Vinod Kambli\’s Test match average is better than his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar – Vinod Kambli played only 17 Test matches which included two back to back double tons. Kambli’s Test average is 54.20 while his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar averages 53.78 after 200 Tests.