Desperate Junior springbok coach Dawie Theron once again finds himself desperately shuffling his team in an effort to get out of the pool stages at this year’s World Rugby Under 20 Championship. A loss to Argentina in their second-round match has taken the South Africans’ fate out of their own hands and they’ll need to win against France today, while hoping other results go their way.
Theron has made a slew of changes to his side; worryingly, he seemingly can’t decide whether Curwin Bosch or Manie Libbok should be his starting flyhalf and has once again shuffled the pair around, with Bosch asked to play fullback after a run in the number 10 jersey against Argentina.
South Africa, realistically, need to beat France with a bonus point and hope that New Zealand fail to record a big win over Wales, in order for the former to progress. The game kicks off at 20h30 South Afriacn time tonight.
Junior Springboks: 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 S’busiso Nkosi, 13 Jeremy Ward (captain), 12 JT Jackson, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Junior Pokomela, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Zain Davids, 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Ruben de Villiers, 3 Carlü Sadie, 2 Jan-Henning Campher, 1 Franco van den Berg.
Bench: 16 Tango Balekile, 17 Nicolaas Oosthuizen, 18 Jaco Holtzhausen, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Denzel Hill, 21 James Hall, 22 Franco Naude, 23 Keanu Vers.
Tweet
Bosch is better at 15 and should be left there. Unfortunately i think this could well be the last game for the SA u20 side…i just cant see them progressing. The team hasnt combined well. Even against Japan it was more the individuals than the team.
@SheldonK (Comment 1) : Because they are never given a chance to grow as a team. Changing half the team will never be good for chemistry
As a Sharks boy my pride has taken a hammering with all my teams over the last 2 years…Sharks, Boks…etc I am so thinking now…Are we really not as good anymore? Heres hoping that something shakes the tree that is SARU into change. I must Japan was the worst last year and one keeps hoping that we will resurge like the Lions have. …I just cant bare it that we are like 5th best. …I should be happy?…naa cmon boys! Anyway Sheldon mste I have to agree (begrudgingly) with you yet again.
@Die Kriek (Comment 2) : Yeh fair point. I just think the way we approach this u20 comp is a bit off. The team needs to be picked earlier and train together so that they can gel and he knows what the right combos are. Our fitness levels dont look that great either.
@Sharkfinn (Comment 3) : My 3 main concerns regarding the rugby dished up by the Sharks and Boks and even Junior Boks are 1. Fitness levels seem to be on the decline. 2. Basic passing and tackle techniques are missing 3. There seems to be no fire and aggression
Very good point Sheldon…fitness(conditioning) has long been an issue for us. Argies looked much fitter than we did and come the 60 min mark thats where it counts…darn Kiwis always get that right.
And of course they target us then ALWAYS!. ..do we learn? Nooo….we are always slow to fricken pick up on these things.
When any SA team loses their set piece. ..its all fall down
i see this a Lions player trails …
@Sharkfinn (Comment 6) : Being fit enough has so many knock on effects…not only can you run longer but not havign to suck in oxygen for the brain means better decisions can be made and not huffing and puffing means the various catching/passing skills will be better executed. If our guys think they are fit they should try out some of the fitness sessions Kitch Christie and Ian Mac and go used to put the guys through…i bet half the current guys couldnt do them.
What’s also noticeable with the U20’s is that the other teams’s forwards seem bulkier and better conditioned than ours. This wasn’t the case 5 years ago.
I find this fitness story a load of bullshit,all the Boks all the A team and lots of these juniors come in fresh for Super rugby and currie cup mid seasons,how can they be unfit.The problem with all three teams is that they are playing like individuals and not like teams.
The reason for this is no on field or off field leadership.,coaching staff who are sub standard,and captains picked for the wrong reason.
Is S’busiso Nkosi a Sharkie? Im surprised to see his name on the team sheet.
@The hound (Comment 12) : What does coming in fresh have to do with fitness? Even fresh the fitness levels are not what they should be. NZ/ OZ and even ENG players are clearly fitter than the SA players. They run for harder and longer and are quicker off the ground and more explosive. Being fresh has nothing to do with the fitness levels. These players are not as fit as they should be and its affecting other areas of their game.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 13) : Yeh he is a Shark
@ Sharkfinn; We continue to make excuses for the U/20 Baby Boks …. There is nothing wrong with the fitness levels of the players. They have train for the last 2months at Stellenbosch and according to Dawie Theron they focus on 70% of fitness.
@ Sheldonlk; Dawie Theron and the rest of the Coaching team thinks they only have two Backline players in there team in the names of Bosch and Libbok and he can shuffle them around between Fullback and Flyhalf, the poor canters must keep up with the two deferent game types ……. This two players are overrated and don’t performed like they suppose to Dawie is cover-up for lack of performers by shifting the to around . One of my biggest problems is …. why are players like Keanu Vers not playing he went on for 2min in the first game, that poor young man is sitting and hope he will get game time and his family can watch him play and his school friend. SARU waist money on plain tickets ,Hotel costs and They have waist the young man time. Thank god Theron is leaving ………
@The Coach (Comment 16) : Focussing on fitness doesnt mean they are fit. It just means they tried but arent at the level required of them. I saw guys walking in both the Japan and Arg game, not getting back to defend or get back to counter attack. Just because they say they did fitness doesnt mean they achieved the required standard. Its very clear the Boks are not as fit and explosive as other sides.
@SheldonK (Comment 5) : Add to that poor technique / inaccurate cleaning at rucks. We have a go at our scrumhalves, but the ball comes out very slowly, because they always have to dig for it. We have a go at our wings being poor, but by the time the ball does reach them they have lost valuable seconds due to 1) scrumhalf having to dig for it, 2) scrumhalf taking three steps before passing, 3) inside backs passing behind the next player who then has to stop to catch the ball, 4) inside backs (and Willie) unable to run straight, commit at least one defender and then passing.
So the typical SA move ends up with a wing against 4 defenders.
@Bokhoring (Comment 18) : Yeh cant say you are wrong unfortunately…
@Bokhoring (Comment 18) : and then the wing holding the ball in the wrong hand.(though not just an unique sa issue,it does not help).
Davids played 13 at school level and now his playing flank????. That’s their problem right there . You have a centre playing flank . If I wasTheron I would’ve moved him to 13 for this vital clash as all his skill is being wasted at flank
If this is the kind of crap SA rugby has to look forward to, I’m going to slit my wrists or play COD online for the rest of my life anytime a SA team is playing. Brainless, clueless and useless.
The only thing holding our entire team together is a little clique of Bosch, Libbok and Davids.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 22) : How we won this game is beyond me….
Bosch has xfactor …. the sooner he plays superrugby the better
Good Morning . I must say and give credit to Bosch ,Libbok and Papier they were awesome on the day , I watch all the games yesterday and the BB played a wonderful game and it was a pleasure to watch.
@The Coach (Comment 25) : good, hey? Bosch has such a lovely feel for the game.
@robdylan (Comment 26) : I hope, that Bosch and Nkosi will get some extended time once the CC kicks off, which will give the time to make the step up to SR next year
@robdylan (Comment 26) : Geez I watched the game and that boy has some serious talent, deservedly earned MOTM
@Quintin (Comment 28) : His defence in the last try of the game was cringeworthy,i thought it undid a lot of the good things t he did
My man of the match would have been #11.He was the most impressive SA back by far. Or #6 among the forwards.
@schrodingers cat (Comment 21) :
You don’t need to have skills to play flank you say?
What about McCaw or Pocock, Brussow, Burger.
Hooper has some impressive skills also.
The turn around in this game came in the 2nd half when the Bok forwards played tighter and got some go forward which sucked in defenders which created a bit of space out wide and boy did those backs exploit it. Curwin Bosch is a quality player (defense still not great but thats why i prefer him at 15). He will captain this side next year i believe.
@fyndraai (Comment 31) : none of them are as fast and can step like David’s . And do you prefer the recent schalk burger ( standing at 10 and passing the ball which 9/10 times is a hospital pass because a forward shouldn’t play like a back but apparently it’s ‘skill’ if he passes the bal ) This is a bit out of the topic but I really don’t agree with forwards passing the ball like a fly half . People say it’s an new style which is expansive ect.And I’ve seen lood done it , it makes no sense because they can’t read the game like a flyhalf can and their pass is to slow so they 9/10 times throw a hospital pass to someone
@SheldonK (Comment 32) : the forwards played to much of ten .
@schrodingers cat (Comment 34) : Would you prefer they play off 9? Or rather just pick and drive and clean?
@SheldonK (Comment 35) : only of 9 and pic and drive, because they got tackled the moment they got the ball because the defense has more time to rush up and tackle them , where if they run of 9 the defense has to wait wait until the 9 picks up the ball which gives the forwards a chance to run onto it and get P .
@SheldonK (Comment 35) : I wonder if rugby would ever go back to all the forwards being at the ruck and having only backs in the backline
@schrodingers cat (Comment 37) : I highly doubt that the way the game is going. Its a now multiphase game with forwards as athletic if not more so than previous years backs. Im a fan of the forwards playing off 10 as it then creates better options and deception. So forwards can either be in the inside option off 10 to suck in the defense or the forwards can be on the outside of 10 as the short flat option with the backline the deeper option. Where SA sides become unstuck is that we only provide 1 realistic option for either the 9 or 10 and therefore its fairly easy to defend. Having 2 options means the defense cant fully commit and thats when the advantage line gets broken as defenders on their heels.
@SheldonK (Comment 38) : true. I think it was the first time ever the baby boks played of ten instead of 9 . I don’t mind it as long as a forward doesn’t get man on ball from a fly half, a good way to counter it would be for 10 to pass behind the forwards to a 15 or centre who then plays it wide where the space is because of the rush defense on the forwards . I think the baby boks scored a lot of tries like that
@SheldonK (Comment 32) : I would think Ernst van Rhyn will captain the side next year considering he’s already a vice captain this year! Curwin maybe a vice next year
@schrodingers cat (Comment 39) : I think a lot of the time both our forwards and even backs get man and ball is because they are to flat and not running from depth, even the forwards just shunt sideways from ruck to ruck instead of arching their runs and thus running onto the ball from various angles. The All Black locks do this very well.
@Ludz (Comment 40) : Yeh look i wasnt basing it on the current leadership structure or anything just on who i saw leading on the field. But you also dont need to be the appointed captain to be a leader on the field.
@robdylan (Comment 26) : and a massive boot but still more impressive is the accuracy of that boot, every now and then I got flashbcks of Naas Bothas touchfinders. Its just the defence that needs to sharpened up.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 43) : I think his defense will improve the older he gets and the more he fills out and gets better conditioned.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 43) : @SheldonK (Comment 44) : personally I would like him to play 10 because of possible weakish defence. If he should miss a tackle at 10 the loosies and/or 12 could help him but at 15 if he miss there’s nobody to cover or help.
@JD (Comment 45) : Your 10 usually has to make a lot more tackles than your 15 though so his weakness would be more exposed. At leas at 15 he has the touchline to help him in some situations.
@SheldonK (Comment 46) : I personally feel he should play in the u21 cc side this year and progress from there. He is a tacking threat of note and has a very good tactical boot, but his frailties on defence would be exposed in senior rugby. He needs time to develop in terms of physique and as a player. Besides, we could field an incredibly strong u21 side this year and could even go on to win should the youngster be kept at u21 as opposed to the senior side.
@Vonno13 (Comment 47) : Yeh i fully agree with you. I dont believe he is ready for senior rugby this year, well definitely not at the start of the CC…maybe maybe towards the end if injuries require it.
Is this the same Bosch who was slated recently on this same site? What a turnaround.
Quality play by the kid. Big future ahead.
@Big Fish (Comment 49) : Why was he slated?
@Big Fish (Comment 49) : Yes, the same Bosch who struggles with defence. Lets not get out of hand here, we beat an average French side! He was poor against Argentina and will need to show temperament when up against it. A free flowing game made the likes of Brent Russell look brilliant, when it got tough, he looked out of place.
He can attack, no doubt, but defence is just as crucial – let’s see how he goes against England, but I will still say this, if you believe he is ready for Super Rugby, you obviously watch a different game to me.
@Vonno13 (Comment 51) : I think his attacking ability is a lot better from 15 than 10 where space is limited. He has a good boot and attacks well from the back but yes defense is pretty non existent. Eng u 20 usually have a monster pack so think the little Boks could be in trouble. We look like one of the smaller sides at the comp.
@schrodingers cat (Comment 33) :
So you don’t like forwards running, stepping and passing like backs.
Yet you say that Davids can run, step and pass like a back and that this is bad thing. That’s the part I do not understand. How can it be a bad thing to have forwards that can do everything backs do in addition to doing stuff forwards do? Are you concerned that backs will feel upstaged?
@fyndraai (Comment 53) : screw backs. They don’t matter
@robdylan (Comment 54) : Backs are like car indicators…great in theory but you dont really need or use them much 🙂
@schrodingers cat (Comment 21) : he’s good but Ward is way better at 13. Personally I would have tried Davids at hooker as I think he could be a good hooker if he gets the basics right.
@fyndraai (Comment 53) : do you want 15 fly halfs on the field . No you only need one fly half doing his job . Forwards should play like forwards and back like backs . David’s as a 6-flank should be stealing more balls , but he doesn’t because his playing like outside centre his never at the rucks that’s why I don’t like the idea of him playing flank
@SheldonK (Comment 46) : that’s true. Anyway he must be spot on when defending otherwise he will not make it in senior rugby.
@JD (Comment 58) : I would like to think he will improve the older he gets and the better conditioned he becomes. With Lambie and April at the Sharks there are 2 smaller guys with good tackle technique to learn from.
@JD (Comment 58) : The ranks of senior rugby are littered with 10’s who couldn’t defend for shit,Naas Botha,Morne Steyn,Joel Stransky,even Dan Carter,Quade Cooper,Steven Larkham.infact there have always been three Naas’to every one Honiball
@JD (Comment 56) : could work
@schrodingers cat (Comment 57) : although I agree with you that forwards and backs have different “work” to do there’s also an argument to be made for forwards to have more ball skills so that they can link better with backs and also for backs to add a bit of “ducking skills” to ensure quick clean ball or even turn overseas if no or not enough forwards are at a breakdown.
@SheldonK (Comment 59) : @The hound (Comment 60) : still need some defending ability and I do believe it will improve the more he plays and practice with the “big guys”
@Big Fish (Comment 49) : He was slated for his defence, those frailties were still there to be seen but maybe the point is not being dwelled on.
His defence will improve as he fills out, gets settled in a position and it’s specific dynamics and gets coached on his gap areas.
But if you can’t see that this guy has something special in him worthy of investment, then that’s your blindness and loss.
@JD (Comment 62) : that’s one part of rugby that has evolved and its backline players being really good at the breakdown when they’re the first men at the ruck
Andre Esterhuizen is a good example, he really does a lot of hardwork at the breakdown for a backline player , he’s made a few turnovers this season and he loves to counter ruck
@Big Fish (Comment 65) : That try of his…sidestepping away from the two defenders, then taking the ball with one hand.
Breathtaking…had mouth hanging open.