Author: saru

Zachary Porthen (prop) will lead the Junior Springboks against New Zealand on Thursday, in the opening round of the inaugural Under-20 Rugby Championship at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Bokarina, Queensland, Australia.

The former SA Schools’ captain is one of five players in the South African match-day squad who featured in last year’s World Rugby U20 Championship in Cape Town, where the Junior Boks finished third.

The other returning SA u20s from last year, who will start against New Zealand, are Asad Moos (scrumhalf), Jurenzo Julius (centre) and Litelihle Bester (wing). JF van Heerden (lock) was named among the replacements and is set to make an impact off the bench.

Porthen will anchor the front row alongside Ruan Swart (prop) and Juan Smal (hooker), while Thomas Dyer and Adam de Waal are the starting locks. The loose trio consists of flankers Sibabalwe Mahashe and Bathobele Hlekani, with Tiaan Jacobs at No 8.

In the backline, Moos, at scrumhalf, will partner with flyhalf Tylor Sefoor. Bruce Sherwood and Julius will patrol the midfield, Bester and Joel Leotlela are the speedsters on the wing, and Michail Damon completes the backline, at fullback.

Junior Bok coach Bafana Nhleko said his group had a good week of training in the build-up to the historic Sanzaar tournament.

“The medical and strength and conditioning staff did a sterling job to ensure our group settled in as quickly as possible after our long-haul flight from South Africa, and our preparations went well this week,” said Nhleko. “The players are now eager to put in a good effort on the field against a top-quality opponent.”

The rivalry and tradition between South Africa and New Zealand also mean a lot of pride is at stake in the opening-round encounter. Nhleko said his players will have to be aware of the Kiwi threats all over the field.

“We all know about the tremendous rivalry, and the all-round threat of New Zealand is a well-known fact,” said Nhleko.

“The physical battle will be huge between two teams that pride themselves on physicality. The main message has been to focus on ourselves and to drive our behaviours.

“So, as much as there is a lot at stake in this match and we are chasing a good performance, as a group, we are also eager to continue to learn and use this tournament as a great opportunity to further develop as a team.”

Hosts’ Australia and Argentina will clash in the other game of the opening-round double header.

The new tournament comprises a round-robin format, with all four teams playing play each other once. The top team after the three-round, six-match tournament will be declared the winner of the first U20 Rugby Championship.

The clash is scheduled to kick off at 09:00 (SA time, 17:00 in Australia) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Junior Springbok team to face New Zealand

15 Michail Damon, 14 Joel Leotlela, 13 Jurenzo Julius (vice-captain), 12 Bruce Sherwood, 11 Litelihle Bester, 10 Tylor Sefoor, 9 Asad Moos, 8 Tiaan Jacobs, 7 Bathobele Hlekani, 6 Sibabalwe Mahashe, 5 Adam de Waal, 4 Thomas Dyer, 3 Zachary Porthen (captain), 2 Juan Smal, 1 Ruan Swart.

Replacements: 16 Ethan Bester, 17 Mbasa Maqubela, 18 Reno Hirst, 19 JF van Heerden (vice-captain), 20 Thabang Mphafi, 21 Ezekiel Ngobeni, 22 Thurlon Williams, 23 Joshua Boulle.

SA Rugby praised referees, coaches, and players in the FNB Varsity Cup for their positive approach to the new tackle height laws that were introduced to the community game in South Africa this year – and already appear to be making a difference.

New laws to make rugby safer at school and club level were approved at a general council meeting of the South African Rugby Union in 2023, relating to the lowering of the maximum legal height at which a tackle may be made while also outlawing potentially dangerous ball-carrying actions and techniques.

The FNB Varsity Cup was the first prominent competition in South Africa to use these laws and according to detailed averaged match data, the number of penalties for high tackles decreased from 14.5 per round to only 7.5 towards the end of the league phase of the competition.

Furthermore, ball carriers were more aware of dipping their heads lower than their hips with penalties in this area declining from three in the opening round to zero during the past two rounds.

“As our Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus said, ‘tackling lower is coachable’ and we’d like to thank and congratulate all coaches and players who have actively worked hard on correct, safe, and effective tackle technique,” said Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby.

“In the same breath, I would also like to thank all the match officials for enforcing the changes. Projects such as these don’t come without teething problems and although we are aware of issues in some provinces, these are by far in the minority.

“All involved in the FNB Varsity Cup have shown what can be achieved with a positive approach. Apart from fewer penalties for high tackles, and without having properly interrogated all the data yet, preliminary observations are that there appear to be fewer concussions in this year’s tournament, which is exactly what we were hoping to achieve.”

Oberholzer further reiterated SA Rugby’s commitment to ensuring a safer game at amateur level.

“We didn’t take the decision to implement these law variations lightly and months of very hard work went into the project,” he said.

“The community rugby season is in full swing, and we would yet again like to urge referees to apply these new laws as per the tackle-height framework, while coaches and players must make the effort to familiarise themselves with these new laws and coach and play accordingly.

“This is a work in progress, and we are learning as the season progresses. If all the involved parties come together and do what they can to make it a success, we will see even more positive results in the coming months, as these new laws gain momentum.

“We would like to see referees continuing to penalise tacklers that are in upright body positions. Ball carriers leading into contact with their bodies horizontal and heads lower than hips make it impossible for tacklers to tackle low and is penalisable. Finally, zero tolerance must be applied to tacklers diving at the limbs of ball carriers with leading shoulders and no clear wrapping of the arms. All these must be penalised with the applicable card depending on the level of danger.

“We do not pretend at all that the referees are getting it spot on, but there has been a marked improvement, and we are very happy to see that. All these changes make the game safer, and I urge that players and coaches take these new law changes seriously and do the hard graft to make this work. It is important for the continued safety of our community game that everyone gives this their best efforts.”

For more information on these laws, go to MyBokSmart do the Tackle Height Change Education Module, and download the following explanatory document.

For six coaching drills used by Junior Springbok head coach Bafana Nhleko and his coaching team to get his players low, square, and at the correct tackle height, CLICK HERE.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Five members of last year’s Junior Springboks’ squad have been included in the 31-player touring group, which was announced by SA U20 head coach Bafana Nhleko on Thursday, for the inaugural Under-20 Rugby Championship in Australia.

The inaugural SANZAAR-arranged tournament, which features the top up-and-coming U20 players from South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia, will be staged in Queensland next month.

Thursday’s squad announcement follows an intense period of preparations for the SA Rugby Academy training group at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sports (SAS).

The new event will be hosted in the Sunshine Coast region, north of Brisbane on Australia’s eastern seaboard, during early May, and will comprise a round-robin format, where all teams will play each other once. The top team after the three-round, six-match tournament, will be declared the first champion.

The five players who represented the Junior Boks during last year’s World Rugby U20 Championship in Cape Town are Zachary Porthen (prop), JF van Heerden (lock), Asad Moos (scrumhalf) and midfielders, Jurenzo Julius and Litelihle Bester.

The training group’s preparations for the forthcoming Australian tour and the World Rugby U20s have included a couple of training matches against provincial outfits.

Nhleko said his coaching staff is pleased with the progress made by the group since planning preparations for their international season began with a series of alignment camps.

“The three matches will be a good test of our group’s character and skill set, as part of a performance process in preparation for the World Rugby u20 Championship,” said Nhleko. “The players have responded well to the detail and demands during the camps. It is now about executing and learning in a Test-match pressure environment.”

The Junior Bok coach said the Sunshine Coast tournament will give the players crucial playing time against quality opposition, opportunities to test combinations in a demanding competition environment, and will assist the coaching staff in fine-tuning their team selection before the squad announcement for the World Championship.

“The tour will be a great opportunity for the players to gain experience and enjoy a different environment and culture, while we continue to grow as a group, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to play in this tournament from a performance and preparation perspective,” Nhleko said.

“I also see it as part of reviving our Elite Player Development (EPD) pathway programme, because some of the players in the group have been part of the identification and development process, while those selected, who were not part of the EPD, have also shown that the pathway process is extensive and there are always opportunities.

“A few players would be disappointed to have missed out on the opportunity to tour, while there are also a few of players who could not be considered for selection because of injury. However, the door is still open for all of them, and we will continue working with the unions to monitor other players because we still have a preparation block to complete when we return from Australia, before we wrap up our final preparations for the World Rugby U20 Championship.”

The Junior Springboks leave for Australia on Wednesday, 24 April, and return home on Tuesday, 14 May. All games will be staged at the Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Junior Springbok squad for the U20 Rugby Championship

Forwards

Props: Casper Badenhorst (Vodacom Bulls), Liyema Ntshanga (Toyota Cheetahs), Mbasa Maqubela (Vodacom Bulls), Reno Hirst (Fidelity ADT Lions), Ruan Swart (Vodacom Bulls), Zachary Porthen (DHL Western Province).

Hookers: CJ Erasmus (DHL Western Province), Ethan Bester (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Juan Smal (Vodacom Bulls).

Locks: Adam de Waal (DHL Western Province), JF van Heerden (Vodacom Bulls), Thomas Dyer (Hollywoodbets Sharks).

Loose forwards: Bathobele Hlekani (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Divan Fuller (DHL Western Province), Keanu Coetsee (Vodacom Bulls), Sibabalwe Mahashe (Fidelity ADT Lions), Thabang Mphafi (Fidelity ADT Lions), Tiaan Jacobs (Biarritz, France).

Backs 

Scrumhalves: Asad Moos (DHL Western Province), Ezekiel Ngubane (DHL Western Province), Hassiem Pead (Fidelity ADT Lions).

Flyhalves: Thurlon Williams (Fidelity ADT Lions), Tylor Sefoor (Toyota Cheetahs).

Centres: Bruce Sherwood (DHL Western Province), Joshua Boulle (DHL Western Province), Jurenzo Julius (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Litelihle Bester (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Philip-Albert van Niekerk (Vodacom Bulls).

Outside backs: JC Mars (DHL Western Province), Joel Leotlela (DHL Western Province / SA Sevens contracted), Michail Damon (Vodacom Bulls).

U20 Rugby Championship schedule (SA kick-off times):

Thursday, 2 May
09:h00: Junior Boks vs New Zealand
11:00: Australia vs Argentina

Tuesday, 7 May
09;00: New Zealand vs Argentina
11:00: Junior Boks vs Australia

Sunday, 12 May
05:30: Junior Boks vs Argentina
07:30: Australia vs New Zealand

The World Rugby u20 Championship 2024 will be played over five match days in Stellenbosch and Cape Town, with the participating teams grouped into three pools of four.

The first round takes place on Saturday, 29 June, and the final will be contested at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 19 July.

France, the winners of the past three editions of the event, are in Pool A with New Zealand, Wales and Spain, who will make their debut after winning the World Rugby u20 Trophy in 2023.

After claiming the bronze medal with a superb defensive and forward display last year, the Junior Springboks will look to impress again on home soil when they face England, Argentina and Fiji in Pool C, while 2023 runners-up Ireland, Australia, Georgia and Italy make up Pool B.

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said South Africa is looking forward to welcoming back the world’s best young players to the Western Cape.

“We have a proud history of successfully staging world-class events and we are extremely proud to be hosting the World Rugby U20 Championship for a second successive year in the Western Cape,” he said.

“Despite the challenging weather we experienced at times during last winter’s successful tournament, our enthusiastic rugby supporters truly showed their passion for the game and eagerness to see the world’s best young players in action by turning out in numbers in Stellenbosch, Paarl and Cape Town.”

Oberholzer said planning for the tournament with World Rugby and key stakeholders is already well-advanced: “We are determined to improve on last year’s event and to present a memorable, world-class tournament that players, match officials and rugby fans – locals and from abroad – will thoroughly enjoy.”

The World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024 will be hosted in Edinburgh, Scotland, where eight teams will fight for promotion to the Championship in 2025: Japan (relegated from the u20 Championship in 2023), Scotland (hosts), Hong Kong China (Asia), The Netherlands (Europe), Uruguay (South America) and representatives from Africa, North America and Oceania.

The two age-grade tournaments are a key part of the international federation’s investment to increase the competitiveness of global rugby by providing a meaningful pathway to the elite level for talented young players.

The showpiece tournaments, first held in 2008, have seen more than 1 550 players go on to make a test debut after playing on the u20 stage, including 32 Rugby World Cup winners.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The u20 pathway is at the heart of our ambition to develop competitiveness globally. Since their inception in 2008, the World Rugby u20 Championship and Trophy have provided exciting opportunities for the future stars of the game to express their talents and develop before reaching test level, as well as a compelling spectacle for anyone interested in our game.

“South Africa and Scotland will be fantastic hosts and provide ideal conditions for the 20 best u20 teams in the world to perform and I would like to thank our two member unions for taking up the hosting challenge.

“I am convinced many of the talented young players featuring in these competitions will leave their mark, not only on these two tournaments but also on international rugby, later down the line.”

World Rugby u20 Championship 2024

Date: 29 June to 19 July

Venues: Danie Craven Stadium (Stellenbosch), Athlone Stadium, DHL Stadium (both in Cape Town)

Pools (with 2023 ranking in brackets)

Pool A: France (1), Wales (6), New Zealand (7), Spain (12)
Pool B: Ireland (2), Australia (5), Georgia (8), Italy (11)
Pool C: South Africa (3), England (4), Argentina (9), Fiji (10)

Pool matches:

• Match day 1: Saturday, 29 June
• Match day 2: Thursday, 4 July
• Match day 3: Tuesday, 9 July

Playoff matches:

• Match day 4: Sunday,14 July
• Match day 5: Friday, 19 July (final and ranking matches)

Four capped Junior Springboks are amongst a group of 35 players who will attend this year’s SA Rugby Academy Programme to continue preparations for the international season, which includes the inaugural Under-20 Rugby Championship in Australia and the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa.

The talented group of rugby players will assemble from Monday, 4 February at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport and will be together intermittently until the end of June.

Ten players return for a second stint with the SA Rugby Academy programme, including four who represented the Boks in last year’s World Rugby event in Cape Town.

The four capped Junior Boks in the squad are Zachary Porthen (prop, DHL Western Province), JF van Heerden (lock, Vodacom Bulls), Litelihle Bester and Jurenzo Julius (both centres from the Hollywoodbets Sharks).

The Academy is one of the key pillars in preparing the top juniors in the country to make the step up to the SA Under-20 squad. The well-structured programme was launched seven years ago and aims to balance formal education with high-performance training and player welfare.

In announcing the group of Academy players, which consists of 21 forwards and 14 backs, Nhleko emphasised that the door is not closed to players who might have missed out.

A further eight players have been identified but were not considered for the initial part of the programme because of injury.

According to the Junior Bok head coach, the provincial U20 and U19 competitions, as well as the Currie Cup, FNB Varsity Cup and the EPD programme have given them a very good idea of the wider group of players to consider for the Academy intake.

“We are pleased with the composition of the group and whilst we already started with the planning process last year, and continued with it into January, when we held some position specific and alignment camps, the hard work will now start in earnest,” said Nhleko.

“Our alignment and position specific camps gave us a very good opportunity to engage early with the players, as well as their coaches and conditioning staff.

“We could present to them what we expect from those selected and what they would need to do to improve on so that they can stay in consideration for the Academy Programme.”

Nhleko also mentioned they will continue to monitor a wider group of players and engage with coaches at provincial, universities, and clubs to ensure they track all the players in the system.

Some training matches against senior provincial outfits are part of the plan to assist the Junior Boks in their preparations for the season, with South Africa again hosting the World Rugby U20 Championship for a second successive year in Cape Town during June and July, when the SA U20s will be pooled with England, Argentina, and Fiji in Group C.

The Junior Boks finished third last year after beating England in their bronze medal playoff game in the Athlone Stadium, while France defended their U20 world title successfully.

2024 SA Rugby Academy squad:

Props: Casper Badenhorst (Vodacom Bulls), Ronan Dutton (Lions), Reno Hirst (Lions), Mbasa Maquabela (Vodacom Bulls), Zachary Porthen (DHL Western Province)**, Ruan Swart (Vodacom Bulls).

Hookers: Luca Bakkes (DHL Western Province)*, CJ Erasmus (DHL Western Province), Juan Smal (Vodacom Bulls).

Locks: Keanu Coetzee (Vodacom Bulls), Ulrich van der Westhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Thomas Dyer (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jaco Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls),Bathobele Hlekani (Hollywoodbets Sharks), JF van Heerden (Vodacom Bulls)**.

Loose forwards: JJ Theron (Vodacom Bulls), Sibabalwe Mahashe (Lions)*, Divan Fuller (DHL Western Province), Sphephelo Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Thabang Mphafi (Lions)*, Wandile Mlaba (DHL Western Province – will attend the programme intermittently).

Scrumhalves: Hassiem Pead (Lions), Ezekiel Ngubene (DHL Western Province).

Flyhalves: Liam Koen (Vodacom Bulls), Tyler Sefoor (Toyota Cheetahs)*, Thurlon Williams (Lions)*.

Centres: Litelihle Bester (Hollywoodbets Sharks)**, Joshua Boulle (DHL Western Province), Jurenzo Julius (Hollywoodbets Sharks)**, Philip-Albert van Niekerk (Vodacom Bulls).

Outside backs: Jayden Bantom (Vodacom Bulls), Michail Damon (Vodacom Bulls), Alfondso Isaacs (Vodacom Bulls), Joel Leotlela (DHL Western Province & SA Sevens)*, JC Mars (DHL Western Province).

* Denotes players selected for the 2023 Academy Programme

** Denotes players selected for the 2023 Academy Programme and Junior Boks

The following group of players are presently injured and were not considered for the initial phase of the SA Rugby Academy programme: Nicolas Snyman (prop, Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ethan Bester (hooker, Hollywoodbets Sharks), Adam de Waal, Andre Goedhals (locks, both DHL Western Province), Asad Moos (scrumhalf, DHL Western Province), Bruce Sherwood, Grant de Jager (centres, both DHL WesternProvince), Gino Cupido (outside back, DHL Western Province).

Two groups of 23 players have been invited to attend under-20 alignment camps in Stellenbosch and Pretoria in January to kickstart the preparations for the SA Rugby Academy and Junior Springbok season.

The first camp, which includes Vodacom Bulls, Toyota Cheetahs, Sharks, and DHL Western Province players, will be hosted at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport from Monday, 15, to Friday, 19 January.

The second camp will be hosted a week later at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, from Monday, 22, to Friday, 26 January, and will feature players from the Vodacom Bulls, Lions, Sharks and DHL Western Province.

Ten of the players have been included in both groups as the Junior Springbok coaches look to cast their net as wide as possible to identify the top uU20 players in the country, while a bunch of 2023 Junior Springbok players have also been included in the squads.

The purpose of the camps is to prepare the players for the demands of Junior Springbok rugby and to align their skills with the strategic objectives of the national team.

Players invited to the U20 Alignment Camps

Stellenbosch camp: Liam Koen, Mbasa Maqubela, Ruan Swart, JF Van Heerden (all Vodacom Bulls), Tylor Sefoor (Toyota Cheetahs), Litelihle Bester, Thomas Dyer, Batho Hlekani, Jurenzo Julius, Sphephelo Mbonambi, Nicolas Snyman (all Sharks), Luca Bakkes, Josh Boulle, Grant De Jager, Adam De Waal, CJ Erasmus, Divan Fuller, Andre Goedhals, Joel Leotlela, JC Mars, Asad Moos, Ezekiel Ngubeni, Zachary Porthen (DHL Western Province).

Pretoria camp: Caleb Abrahams, Casper Badenhorst, Keanu Coetzee, Michail Damon, Jaco Grobbelaar, Alfondso Isaacs, Liam Koen, Mbasa Maqubela, Juan Smal, Ruan Swart, JJ Theron, JF van Heerden, PA van Niekerk (all Vodacom Bulls), Reno Hirst, Sibabalwe Mahashe, Thabang Mphafi, Haashim Pead, Thurlon Williams (all Lions), Litelihle Bester, Batho Hlekani, Jurenzo Julius (all Sharks), Luca Bakkes, Zachary Porthen (both DHL Western Province)

South Africa Under-18 coach Katleho Lynch has made wholesale changes to his team for their second and final match in the u18 International Series when they face England in Paarl on Saturday, including handing the captaincy to JJ Theron, while JC Mars has been named vice-captain.

Catch all the action from the u18 International Series live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com). Broadcast brought to you by Investec.

Only four of the players who started against France on Tuesday, have been included in the starting team this weekend – wings Scott Nel and Cheswill Jooste, loose forward Batho Hlekani – who moves from No 8 to flanker – and lock Jacobus Grobbelaar.

Lynch was also forced to call up Kyle Smith, who takes over from the flyhalf duties from his injured SA Scools team-mate Ian van der Merwe. Ranon Fouche (prop), who was injured against France, was not replaced in the squad.

The two players who were part of the SA U18 Sevens squad at the Commonwealth Youth Games earlier this month, Gino Cupido (centre) and Marno Stopforth (flanker), have both been named in the starting team.

“Our plan from the outset was to give all the players in the squad enough game time as we need to see who can make the step up, hence all the rotational changes to thesquad,” said Lynch.

“Many of the players who were on the bench against France and who helped the team lift the intensity in the second half of that game, will now start and it’s a greatopportunity for everyone to test themselves for a second time against a quality international side. I have no doubt we will be better on Saturday.”

Lynch is under no illusions about the enormity of the task that awaits his charges at Paarl Boys’ High on Saturday – England beat France by 41-0 last week and on Tuesday,they won 78-15 against the Western Province XV.

“Obviously we have to start much better this time around as we are facing a very well-coached side who play with speed and momentum,” said the coach.

“We have to try and control that and stop their momentum, but we will also be looking for better synergy between our forwards and backs.”

The kick-off time of the match against England has been moved to 15h30 and the game will be broadcast on the SuperSport Schools app, as well as on channel 216 on DSTV. The match between France and the Western Province XV is scheduled for 13h00.

SA u18 team to face England in Paarl:

15 JC Mars (vice-captain), 14 Scott Nel, 13 Gino Cupido, 12 Janco Purchase, 11 Cheswill Jooste, 10 Kyle Smith, 9 Haashim Pead, 8 JJ Theron (captain), 7 Batho Hlekani, 6 Marno Stopforth, 5 Riley Norton, 4 Jaco Grobbelaar, 3 Jean Erasmus, 2 Siphosethu Mnebelele, 1 Lithemba Mfupi. Replacements: 16 Imaani Pemba, 17 Phiwayinkosi Kubeka, 18 Simphiwe Ngobese, 19 Ulrich van der Westhuizen, 20 Xola Nyali, 21 Christiaan van der Westhuizen, 22 Dominic Malgas, 23 Jameel de Jongh, 24 Luyanda Kunene, 25 Thando Biyela.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

South Africa under-18 head coach Katleho Lynch could not hide his disappointment after his team went down to France in the U18 International Series on Tuesday, but he urged his team to lift their heads and knuckle down as they start preparing for their second game, against England on Saturday.

Xola Nyali (flanker) has been handed the captaincy as the South African Under-18 team prepare for their u18 International Series opener against France at Stellenberg High School in Durbanville, north of Cape Town, on Tuesday afternoon.

Nyali captained Western Province at the u18 Craven Week at the end of June and played for SA Schools against their ‘A’ team counterparts last month. Ian van der Merwe has been named vice-captain by SA u18 coach Katleho Lynch for the match against France, which kicks off at 15:00.

Catch all the action from the u18 International Series live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com). Broadcast brought to you by Investec.

Lynch said the players were raring to go and that he was excited to see what this group can offer after the players delivered a spectacle in Wellington a month ago when the two SA Schools sides squared off.

“We are really looking forward to the series against France and England as there is no better way to give the boys the best possible experience of what it’s like playing at international level,” said Lynch.

“We’ve done some squad rotation and mixing and matching of players in positions and the main thing will now be to see what we’ve been working on the last couple of weeks come to fruition and executed at test level.

“I have no doubt that we have some great talent in South Africa, it’s now just a matter of putting it to the test and executing under pressure in an international match situation.”

Lynch was dealt a late blow when Divan Fuller (loose forward) was forced to withdraw from the squad, with his WP team-mate Riley Norton earning a call-up.

Earlier on Tuesday, the England U18s will face a Western Province XV (13h00). The u18 International Series concludes at Paarl Boys’ High’s Brug Street fields on Saturday when South Africa take on England (15h00), preceded by the match between France and the WP XV (13h00).

SA U18 to face France in Durbanville:

15 Luyanda Kunene, 14 Scott Nel, 13 Jameel de Jongh, 12 Dominic Malgas, 11 Cheswill Jooste, 10 Ian van der Merwe (vice-captain), 9 Christiaan van der Westhuizen, 8 Batho Hlekani, 7 Thando Biyela, 6 Xola Nyali (captain), 5 Ulrich van der Westhuizen, 4 Jaco Grobbelaar, 3 Simphiwe Ngobese, 2 Imaani Pemba, 1 Ranon Fouché. Replacements: 16 Siphosethu Mnebelele, 17 Lithemba Mfupi, 18 Jean Erasmus, 19 Riley Norton, 20 JJ Theron, 21 Haashim Pead, 22 Janco Purchase, 23 JC Mars, 24 Marno Stopforth, 25 Phiwayinkosi Kubeka, 26 Gino Cupido.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

The bulk of the SA Schools teams were included in a 26-player SA U18 squad for next month’s U18 International Series against France and England.