SA U20s entering final stages of preparations for World Champs
SA U20 coach Dawie Theron on Thursday said that he was satisfied with his squad’s build up and preparations for the forthcoming IRB Junior World Championship which kicks off in Italy on the 10 June 2011.
The Baby Boks concluded their penultimate training camp held in Cape Town in preparation for the annual International Under-20 tournament. The players’ conditioning and fitness levels were assessed while Theron, along with his assistant coaches – Pine Pienaar and Eric Sauls – also had another opportunity to train with the 35-man squad that will be reduced to 26 when the final squad is announced in May.
National selectors Peter Jooste and Ian McIntosh also attended a field session in Wellington on Wednesday night where the Baby Boks trained against the Boland Cavaliers’ Vodacom Cup squad.
“The next step for the national selectors and I will be to finalise and forward the names of the 26 players that will represent South Africa at the IRB Junior World Championships,” said Theron.
“Most of the guys who attended this three-day camp either re-affirmed to us their status as the best national age group player in their position, or that they have the hunger to be part of the final squad.
“I was pleased with the introduction of some of the players who attended their first SA U20 training camp. It’s going to be vital that we get our combinations right, and there’s healthy debate amongst the selectors and coaches in this regard. ”
Utility backs Paul Jordaan, William Small-Smith and Craig Barry who have been involved with the Springbok Sevens structures since December 2010 attended their first SA U20 camp, as did the DHL Western Province duo of prop Frans Malherbe and hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni.
Vodacom Blue Bulls centre Francois Venter and scrumhalf Lohan Jacobs; MTN Golden Lions winger Wandile Mjekevu and DHL Western Province flanker Siya Kolisi were all part of the Baby Boks squad of 2010 that competed in last year’s IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina. They attended the three-day training camp and are all contenders to make the final 26-man squad which will be announced next month.
The final 26-man squad will gather for one final camp during the month of May before departing to the IRB Junior World Championship in Italy on 4 June 2011.
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