U20 Rugby Championship | South Africa v Argentina Teams

The coaches have named their first match teams for Round #1 that kicks-off on Thursday May 1 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha.

Former SA U18 lock and national age-group cricketer Riley Norton will captain the Junior Springboks against Argentina in the opening round of the Rugby Championship U20. The encounter will be preceded by the match between the defending champions, New Zealand, and Australia, which will open the tournament at 14h00.
 
Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote has selected an exciting match-23 for the clash with the Pumitas, who gave their SA U20 counterparts a tough time last year in the inaugural tournament staged in Australia.
 
The Junior Bok starting fifteen includes the likes of Norton, Wandile Mlaba, a member of last year’s Junior Bok squad, and the 2024 SA Schools and SA U18 captain Sethu Mnebelele, amongst the forwards.
 
The backs feature exciting players such as Blitzbok Gino Cupido and Cheswill Jooste on the wings and Kyle Smith at flyhalf. Utility forward Batho Hlekani and outside back JC Mars are amongst the replacements who are expected to make an impact off the bench.
 
Foote said his team had a good time preparing for the opening clash in the Friendly City.
 
“The weather is great, and our hosts have been fantastic, which have given us a lot of energy in our training,” said Foote.
 
“What stands out for me is the intent and joy of the players; the smiles on their faces tell me they are confident, excited, and see this opportunity to represent our country as a huge privilege.”
 
The Junior Bok coach added that the eagerness and competition amongst squad members made selection a tough exercise.
 
“Our squad selection for this first game was difficult because there are so many talented guys, which speaks volumes about our depth,” said Foote.
 
“We've decided on a more settled pack – there's only one change in the pack from our last training match against Hamilton’s, with our captain Riley Norton coming into the starting lineup after a slight injury.”
 
According to Foote this shows the forwards have momentum, and he mentioned the synergy they showed against Hamilton’s will give them a good platform upfront, while the backs also excite the coach.
 
“Amongst our backs, we have welcomed back Haashim Pead at scrumhalf with his experience,” said Foote. “Like Riley, he also had a niggle, which is why he didn't play in the last training match. There's also Gino, who comes into the squad after making his Blitzbok debut recently, and JC Mars is also included.”
 
Foote said they are aware of the huge challenge against the strong South American group: “We’ve done our homework and know what Argentina is going to bring to the game. We understand and respect their passion, and they are also looking forward to this opportunity to play for their country. We have a lot of respect for the Argentinians around their contact and set play, and we are looking forward to playing against them.
 
Junior Springboks versus Pumitas

15 Gilermo Mentoe
14 Cheswill Jooste
13 Demitre Erasmus
12 Albie Bester
11 Gino Cupido
10 Kyle Smith
9 Haashim Pead
8 Wandile Mlaba
7 Matt Romao
6 Thando Biyela
5 JJ Theron
4 Riley Norton (captain)
3 Simphiwe Ngobese
2 Sethu Mnebelele
1 Oliver Reid
Replacements:
16 Juandré Schoeman
17 Ranon Fouché
18 JD Erasmus
19 Morné Venter
20 Batho Hlekani
21 Ceano Everson
22 Vusi Moyo
23 JC Mars

Nicolás Fernández Miranda, head coach of Los Pumitas, spoke about the team's preparation for their Rugby Championship debut: “ The truth is that we're doing well. We had a long three-day trip due to a problem with the plane in São Paulo, but well, that really helped us a lot as a group and for the guys to be together, share a lot and take that moment in a very good way, with great camaraderie and helping a lot.”

He also commented on how training went once they arrived in South Africa and how the team's schedule is progressing: " We've had three very good days of preparation so far, with good training, good talks, good videos, and a very nice time together, so we're happy. Today we gave it our all as a team, all 23 and all 31 pushing for this to go very well. Tomorrow we have the Captain's Run in the morning, stadium reconnaissance in the afternoon, and now our minds, our spirits, and our plans are all focused on South Africa. So, we're happy and also eager to start the tournament, but we're really enjoying these days. There's still a long time until the match, so we're going to take advantage of every moment to continue improving, to look for details, and to arrive in the best possible shape."

Pumitas v Junior Springboks

1 RODRIGUEZ, Juan Ignacio (RC High School)
2 LEDESMA AROCENA, Tadeo (SIC)
3 GALVÁN, Gael (Pucará)
4 GARCÍA IANDOLINO, Álvaro (Los Tordos RC) (VC)
5 DUCLOS, Tomás (Los Tordos RC)
6 NEYRA, Santiago (Alumni) (VC)
7 DANDE, Tomás (Huirapuca)
8 GARCÍA CAMPOS, Agustín (BV Regattas)
9 LLORENS , Jerónimo (Teqüe RC)
10 BENEDIT, Rafael (CUBA
11 VIEYRA, Aquiles (Alumni)
12 LEDESMA, Felipe (SIC) (C)
13 COLL, Pedro (Tigres RC)
14 Lescano, Bautista (CAE)
15 SENILLOSA, Pascal (Hindus)
Replacements:
16 OTAÑO, Jerónimo (Los Tordos RC)
17 CORREA, Diego (CAE)
18 Vicente Vidal, Valentin (San Martin de Villa Maria)
19 NEIGHBORHOODS, Alejandro (Olivos)
20 STOREY, Pampa (ALMOST)
21 SORONDO , Jerónimo (Belgrano Athletic)
22 CORLETO, Félix (CUBA)
23 FERNANDEZ MIRANDA, Ramón (Hindu)