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[WATCH] Cup ‘it uit: Rookies looking to impress in the U20 Junior World Championship on SA soil

Dudley Carstens|Published

Local outjie to watch: Cape-born scrumhalf Imad Khan, centre, in action for South Africa U20.

The Junior Rugby World Championship is back after a four-year hiatus which was brought about by Covid-19.

Kicking off in Paarl and Stellenbosch this weekend, there will be a number of teams looking to make their stem dik across the three pools.

Pool A will see defending champions France, New Zealand, Wales and Japan do battle, Pool B pits Australia, England, Ireland and Fiji against each other, with hosts South Africa tackling Argentina, Italy and Georgia in Pool C.

With the top three teams from each pool qualifying for the semifinals, the fourth place will go to the best second-placed team.

So who are the manne expected to shine in the tournament? Let’s take a closer look at some of the rookies who will be looking to light up Mzansi over the next three weeks.

It has become common place to see South African surnames in European teams, but not really in teams from the southern hemisphere. Brace yourselves: New Zealand has a scrumhalf called Jordi Viljoen, the son of former Stormers No.9 Joggie.

SA links: Kiwi No.9 Jordi Viljoen.

While he will undoubtedly catch the eye of South Africans, the All Blacks will look to Hurricanes loose-forward Peter Lakai to maak’ie dinge aan’ie brand in South Africa.

Winners in the last tournament in 2019, France, will always be a dangerous outfit, no matter at what age-group level.

But they have travelled to South Africa minus their two big names Emilien Gailleton and Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

Centre Gailleton, 19, scored the most tries (14) in the French Top 14 this year, while wing Bielle-Biarrey is also in France’s senior World Cup plans.

Second seeds in the tournament, Australia, will be favourites to go through in this pool. With a number of their players playing at Super Rugby level already, they will be used to upping their game when needed to.

Huge Aussis: Centre Taj Annan.

One guy who is destined to stand out is 1.91m tall Reds centre Taj Annan.

Blessed with the ability to play virtually anywhere in the backline, he is mentored by Wallabies playmaker James O’Connor in Queensland. And that spells trouble to his opponents in Pool B.

While Australia are favoured to go through from this group, three-time winners England and U20 Six Nations champions will have an eiertjie om te lê oor dit.

Ireland were unbeaten in the Six Nations earlier this year and one of the players who are left from that squad, Sam Prendergast, is expected to star for the team in Mzansi. A pivot, who has already made his debut for Leinster at club level, Prendergast should be watched closely.

The last time this tournament was staged in South Africa was in 2012, with Handre Pollard, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Steven Kitshoff emerging from the group as current Springboks.

There were others from that group who represented the Springboks too, but are no longer part of the setup.

In fact, 55 players have graduated from the national U20 setup to the senior team and this current crop will undoubtedly look to add to that number.

Irish threat: Sam Prendergast.

Kaapse oë will be on highly-rated Western Province youngster Imad Khan (scrumhalf) and, of course, captain and flanker Paul de Villiers.

The team also sports Blitzbok Masande Mtshali and former Paul Roos star Jurenzo Julius, who now plies his trade at the Sharks.

While they can expect some tough opposition from Argentina, Italy and Georgia in this pool, SA should go through.

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