SARU have announced a group of 76 players – 13 of them DHL WP starlets, including new DHL Stormers player Ryno Eksteen – for the start of the SA Under-20 preparations for the 2014 IRB Junior World Championships.
SARU also unveiled a comprehensive preparation plan aimed at ensuring the Junior Springboks are battle-ready for the 2014 JWC showpiece which is to be hosted in Auckland, New Zealand, in June.
The main pillars of this plan are three training camps in Stellenbosch, which will see the Junior Springbok hopefuls play a series of trial matches, and participate in three friendly internationals against Argentina Under-20.
To kick-start the preparation schedule of the training group, SA Under-20 head coach, Dawie Theron, members of his management team, the SARU Mobi Unit and the SARU Development department will soon meet with the selected players in Johannesburg and Stellenbosch respectively.
Players from the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions, Leopards, Free State, EP Kings and the Sharks will assemble in Johannesburg on February 20 for a one-day information session, while a similar get-together is planned for the Western Province-based players – the likes of Eksteen, JD Schickerling, Jacques Vermeulen, Rikus Bothma, Daniel du Plessis, Jarryd Sage, SP Ferreira, Justin Philips, Dewald Naudé, Grant Hermanus, Chad Solomon, Wesley Adonis and Frans van Wyk – on February 27 in Stellenbosch.
Theron will conduct three training camps before the announcement of the official SA U20 squad in April. The first training camp will run from March 31 to April 16 and a series of trial matches will also be held during this period. A smaller group will then gather from April 27 to May 17, again in Stellenbosch, for a second camp and the three internationals against the Argentina U20’s.
The matches against Argentina are scheduled for May 9 at City Park Stadium, Cape Town, on May 13 at the Paul Roos Gymnasium Stellenbosch and May 17 at the Saldanha Rugby Club on the Cape West Coast.
The final holding camp takes place from May 23 to 26 and the squad departs Cape Town for New Zealand on May 26 to participate in the JWC tournament from June 2 to June 20.
Commenting on the preparation plans Junior Springboks head coach Theron said they hope the structure of the camps and the large training group would allow them to cast the net as wide as possible.
“We have a different approach this year in terms of identifying the players and also our training group preparations. We have already visited the provinces and communicated our preparation and conditioning plans to them, and we will continue to keep them informed.
“Our conditioning coach especially, together with the SARU Mobi Unit and Development department are working very closely with the provinces to ensure the players follow a comprehensive training programme so that they’re in good physical condition when they arrive at our training camps,” explained Theron.
The Junior Springbok coach added that he was pleased with quality of players identified for the large training group: “There are a lot of talented players in the group and it certainly helps us that some of these players, such as Malcolm Marx (Lions), André Esterhuizen, Thomas du Toit (both the Sharks), Jesse Kriel, Handré Pollard (both the Vodacom Blue Bulls) and Ryno Eksteen (DHL Stormers) have played in Vodacom Super Rugby warm-up matches for their franchises.”
Theron added: “We are also fortunate to include a number of players who played last year in France, such as Pollard, Jessie Kriel, Rohan Janse van Rensburg (all Bulls) and Aidon Davis (EP Kings). Sergeal Petersen (EP Kings) is also available after he missed the JWC last year because of injury.”
THE SA Under-20 TRAINING GROUP:
Vodacom Blue Bulls: Handré Pollard, Jesse Kriel, Duhan van der Merwe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Dan Kriel, Keagon Gordan, Kobus Marais, Warrick Gelant, Ganfred May, Marcus Kleinbooi, Duncan Mathews, JP Smith, Corniel Els, Wilco Louw, Dayan van der Westhuizen, Pierre Schoeman, Abongile Nonkontwana, Janse van Rensburg, RG Snyman, Heinrich Viljoen, Justin Basson.
Golden Lions: Malcom Marx, Michael Hazner, Ramone Samuels, Jaco Van der Walt, Jano Venter, Thabo Mabuza, Vincent Maropeng, Victor Sisekete, JP du Preez, Pieter Scholtz, Stephan Vermeulen, Cyle Brink, Dylan Smith.
Leopards: Jaco Botha, Kock Marx, Dean Stokes, Lloyd Greef.
Toyota Free State: Ox Noche, Joseph Dweba, Mthokozisi Mkhabela, Nicolaas Lee, Marthinus Oosthuizen, Jandré Slabbert.
EP Kings: Aidon Davis, Sergeal Petersen, Kevin Kaba, Alrin Eksteen.
Cell C Sharks: Andre Esterhuizen, Thomas du Toit, Gideon Koegelenberg, Chris de Beer, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Dan du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez, Neil Maritz, Sandile Khubeka, Cameron Wright, Ayron Schramm, Ray Williams, Sias Koen.
DHL Western Province: Ryno Eksteen, JD Schickerling, Jacques Vermeulen, Rikus Bothma, Daniel du Plessis, Jarryd Sage, SP Ferreira, Justin Philips, Dewald Naudé, Grant Hermanus, Chad Solomon, Wesley Adonis, Frans van Wyk.
SA Under-20 2014 JWC fixtures:
June 2: SA v Scotland (North Harbor)
June 6: SA v New Zealand (North Harbor)
June 10: SA v Samoa (Pukekohe)
June 15: Play-offs (TBC)
June 20: Finals (Auckland)
