Junior Boks name unchanged line-up for World Rugby U20 Championship Final

The Junior Springboks have named an unchanged match-23 for Saturday evening’s much-anticipated World Rugby Under-20 Championship Final against New Zealand in Rovigo, Italy.

Lock Riley Norton will once again lead a familiar-looking side that has featured in most of the pool matches, as well as Monday’s semifinal victory over Argentina.

The unchanged line-up means the bench will again feature a split of six forwards and two backs in what promises to be an epic battle between the two southern hemisphere rugby rivals.

Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote said the SA Under-20s have done well to reach the final and they are excited to face their greatest rivals with a settled side.

“This has been our settled combination for most of the year, and the team play with great synergy,” said Foote, who admitted it was yet again difficult to leave players out of the match-day squad.

“Given how well everyone has played, it was such a difficult task to leave anyone out. We are grateful for the absolute selflessness of the players not selected for Saturday’s final, and for how hard they are training to ensure the team is well prepared for New Zealand.

“We decided to pick six forwards on the bench yet again, as they made a difference in the semifinal against Argentina, and we also learned some valuable lessons when we faced New Zealand in the Under-20 Rugby Championship in South Africa a few months ago.”

Saturday’s decider marks the Junior Boks’ first appearance in the final since 2014, and it’s a repeat of the 2012 final in which South Africa beat New Zealand at Newlands in Cape Town.

The SA Under-20s have been in rampant form throughout the Championship in Italy, posting comprehensive wins over Australia, defending champions England, and Scotland in the group stage, followed by a hard-earned victory over a gritty Argentina in the semifinals on Monday evening.

South Africa’s dynamic pack of forwards has laid an excellent platform for their electric backline to score some eye-catching tries. The Junior Bok halfback pairing of Haashim Pead (scrumhalf) and Vusi Moyo (flyhalf) are among the tournament’s leading points scorers.

Pead has scored six tries in four games – the most by any player so far this year – while also providing numerous assists for teammates. Moyo has racked up 50 points across his four appearances, placing him at the top of the overall points’ scoring chart.

New Zealand, like South Africa, are unbeaten in the tournament, having topped Pool B before dispatching a dangerous French side in the semifinals to set up an exciting final showdown with the Junior Boks.

The World Rugby Under-20 Championship Final kicks off at 8:30pm and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

THE JUNIOR SPRINGBOK TEAM TO FACE NEW ZEALAND IN ROVIGO:

15 Gilermo Mentoe

14 Cheswill Jooste

13 Demitre Erasmus

12 Albie Bester

11 Jaco Williams

10 Vusi Moyo

9 Haashim Pead

8 Wandile Mlaba

7 Bathobele Hlekani

6 Xola Nyali

5 JJ Theron

4 Riley Norton (captain)

3 Herman Lubbe

2 Siphosethu Mnebelele

1 Simphiwe Ngobese

REPLACEMENTS:

16 Jaundré Schoeman

17 Oliver Reid

18 Jean Erasmus

19 Jaco Grobbelaar

20 Matt Romao

21 Stephanus Linde

22 Ceano Everson

23 Dominic Malgas