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Cape Town - Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux made six changes to his team for their final UK tour match against England at the Sixways Stadium in Worcester on Friday as he looks to continue testing player combinations, while at the same time maintaining continuity in selection.
The team features a different halfback pairing of flyhalf David Coetzer and scrumhalf Rewan Kruger. Coetzer replaces Lubabalo Dobela, who took a knock to head against Wales, while Wandisile Simelane and Rikus Pretorius will start in the midfield.
The other changes were on the wing where David Kriel comes in for Sihle Njezula, who is among the replacements, and at lock where Ben-Jason Dixon returns to the starting line-up in place of Ruan Nortje after dropping to the bench against Wales due to illness.
The clash marks the team’s final warm-up match before the World Rugby U20 Championship, which will be hosted in the south of France from May 30 to June 17.
“We are still using our player rotation system, so we would like to give players a chance, while continuing to test our player combinations,” said Roux, who added that he is expecting a tough outing against the hosts, runners up in the U20 Six Nations earlier this season with four victories in five matches.
“England are a very good side. They almost won the U20 Six Nations and they are a very physical side. They are fresh, and as we played two matches leading up to this match, it will be important for us to be ready mentally and physically on match day.”
The game kicks off at 20:30 (SA time) and can be viewed via livestreaming on www.englandrugby.com
The Junior Springboks will arrive in South Africa on Sunday, and the players will have a few days off before assembling at their base in Stellenbosch for their World Rugby U20 Championship holding camp on Sunday, May 20. The team will depart for the international spectacle on Friday, May 25.
Junior Springbok team to face England:
15 Gianni Lombard (Golden Lions), 14 David Kriel (Western Province), 13 Wandisile Simelane (Golden Lions), 12 Rikus Pretorius (Western Province), 11 Tyrone Green (Golden Lions), 10 David Coetzer (Western Province), 9 Rewan Kruger (Free State), 8 Muller Uys (Western Province), 7 PJ Steenkamp (Western Province), 6 Dian Schoonees (Golden Lions), 5 Ben-Jason Dixon (Western Province), 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain - Western Province), 3 Sazi Sandi (Western Province), 2 Schalk Erasmus (Western Province), 1 Nathan McBeth (Golden Lions)
Substitutes: 16 Daniel Jooste (Western Province), 17 Tiaan van der Merwe (Golden Lions), 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Golden Lions), 19 Phendulani Buthelezi (Sharks), 20 Ruan Nortje (Blue Bulls), 21 Jack Hart (Golden Lions), 22 Lyle Hendricks (Western Province), 23 Sihle Njezula (Western Province)
