The Junior Springboks are beginning to feel the gees of the World Championships which is about to kick off in Paarl and Stellenbosch this weekend.
Up against Georgia in their first Pool C outing at the Danie Craven Stadium on Saturday, South Africa U20 assistant coach Lumumba Currie says: “Ever since the team capping ceremony a week ago, the team really switched on to the tournament and we are now counting the days until that first match.”
As they hunt for a first title since South Africa famously won the 2012 edition on home soil, Currie says of Georgia: “We looked at their videos and they are here because they deserve to be, no doubt. They are well coached and as expected from any Georgian team, good in the forwards.
Excitement is building for the return of the #WorldRugbyU20s with the captains getting together for the traditional photo at the Cape Town City Hall on Wednesday 🤩
— Junior Springboks (@JuniorBoks) June 21, 2023
Tickets available online from @Ticketmaster (please note, no tickets will be sold at the match venues) 🎟 pic.twitter.com/lVn4XPAUt0
“They are benefitting from playing in Europe and against various styles of play, and they are not predictable. We know that we need to be at our best if we want to start the tournament well.
“That said, your first phase play needs to be spot-on anyway if you want to be successful, so the fact that we need to overcome Georgia up front will also apply to other opponents.
“We want to set a strong standard in that game and make sure that we stay in control of our own destiny in the tournament.”