'Brotherhood and belief': Junior Boks fired up for world stage in Verona

The South Africans will launch their campaign against Australia, with pool matches against England and Scotland to follow. It's a tough group but should they come through it successfully it will set them up superbly for the playoffs to come.

The squad had their traditional capping ceremony last Friday evening in Cape Town and wrapped up their preparations in Stellenbosch on Monday. On Tuesday, they will depart to their tournament base in Verona to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the start of the competition.

Junior Bok lock and captain Riley Norton was joined by fellow second rower JJ Theron and hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele as they shared their thoughts on the challenges that await in Italy.

"We've worked incredibly hard to be here, and all of us are just so proud to be representing this team and our country," said Norton, who matriculated from Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch last year

"The coaches and staff have done an amazing job in preparing us for this tournament, and now it's up to the players to go out and do the best that they're capable of.

"The brotherhood and togetherness are big focuses for us, and we all have that desire to be the best player that we can be, in the service of our country and for the Junior Springbok team."

Mnebelele, the SA U18 captain last year who attended King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, highlighted the importance of the Junior Boks' recent experience in the U20 Rugby Championship, which narrowly saw them miss out on victory after a classic title decider against the Kiwis that finished 48-45 to the men in black.

"The intensity will be quite different than what we're used to, and that is why we are so grateful that we played in the Rugby Championship. Playing against Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand prepared us well for the challenges ahead."

Mnebelele said the players were impressed with Springbok Damian Willemse's motivational talk at the capping ceremony.

"He told us to be ourselves, play to the best of our abilities, and fight for each other, our team, and the country."

Regarding the tough pool schedule, Theron - SA Schools captain in 2023 who went to Grey College in Bloemfontein - added: "Australia, England, and Scotland â- each game will be an enormous test, but we don't look too far ahead. Our aim is to always stay in the moment and do the job at hand, what is necessary.

"We pride ourselves on our physicality, and that's what we aim to display when we take the field, to play to our strengths. We are all enormously proud to be selected for the Junior Boks, and we are excited about the tournament and the opportunity to play for our country."

The team will travel to Italy on Tuesday and will have their first session on Italian soil on Wednesday afternoon after settling into their base in Verona.heron - SA Schools captain in 2023 who went to Grey College in Bloemfontein - added: "It is a very demanding tournament with a five-day turnaround (between matches), but as South Africans, we always embrace a challenge.

"Australia, England, and Scotland - each game will be an enormous test, but we don't look too far ahead. Our aim is to always stay in the moment and do the job at hand, what is necessary.

"We pride ourselves on our physicality, and that's what we aim to display when we take the field, to play to our strengths. We are all enormously proud to be selected for the Junior Boks, and we are excited about the tournament and the opportunity to play for our country."

The team will travel to Italy on Tuesday and will have their first session on Italian soil on Wednesday afternoon after settling into their base in Verona.

South Africa's Pool A fixtures:

Sunday, 29 June: Junior Boks vs Australia U20 â- Stadio San Michele (Calvisano)

Friday, 4 July: Junior Boks vs England U20 - Stadio Mario Battaglini (Rovigo)

Wednesday, 9 July: Junior Boks vs Scotland U20 - June Stadio San Michele (Calvisano)

Junior Boks squad:

Forwards: Jean Erasmus, Phiwayinkosi Kubheka, Herman Lubbe, Simphiwe Ngobese, Oliver Reid, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Jaundre Schoeman, Jaco Grobbelaar, Riley Norton, JJ Theron, Morne Venter, Thando Biyela, Bathobele Hlekani, Wandile Mlaba, Xola Nyali, Matt Romao, Stephanus Linde.

Backs: Ceano Everson, Haashim Pead, Erich Visser, Vusi Moyo, Ian van der Merwe, Albie Bester, Gino Cupido, Demitre Erasmus, Dominic Malgas, Cheswill Jooste, Gilermo Mentoe, Siya Ndlozi, Jaco Williams. 

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