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Johannesburg - Super 14 players Wandile Mjekevu and fullback Patrick Lambie have been drafted in to the SA Under-20 training squad that will participate in a seven-day pre-World Championship camp in Saldanha from next Thursday.
The 26-man squad that will participate in the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina in June later this year will be announced at the conclusion of this camp.
Sampie Mastriet and Branco du Preez, who were part of the Springbok Sevens' recent World Series tournaments in Adelaide and Hong Kong, have also been named in the 38-man squad. Mastriet scored nine tries for the Boks Sevens in his debut tournament in Adelaide earlier this month.
The national selectors have also included six players who have been competing in this season's Vodacom Cup.
Utility backs Jaco Taute (Golden Lions) and Ruan Combrink (Western Province), scrumhalf Louis Schreuder (WP) and forwards CJ Stander (Blue Bulls), Ruan Dreyer (Golden Lions) and Hendrick van der Waldt (Free State Cheetahs) have been invited to the camp.
Wing Tythan Adams and flank Sam Mabombo who were both part of the Maties' successful 2010 FNB Varsity Cup campaign have also been invited to the Saldanha camp.
"We are now entering the final stages of our preparations for the forthcoming World Championship," said SA Under-20 coach Eric Sauls.
"We'll be selecting the 26 players that will make up the final squad from the group of players that have been invited to this camp.
"While our Super 14 players will be allowed to continue to represent their franchises, we have quite a few players who have excelled in the Vodacom Cup who have also been also selected to this squad.
"We are where we want to be in terms of exposing our players to international opposition as many of the guys that will join us next week have either played in the international friendlies against Argentina or were part of our tour to France in February.
"These players will not participate in any matches during this camp, but the coaches will use this opportunity to fine tune our game structures to ensure that all players that could possibly make the Argentinean trip in June are on the same page."
SA Under-20 training squad:
Tythan Adams, Garth April, Mlungisi Bali, Brummer Badenhorst, Clayton Blommetjies, Ruan Combrink, Sebastian De Chaves, Ruan Dreyer, Branco du Preez, Christiaan du Rand, Francois du Toit, Divan Ferguson, Monde Hadebe, Adri Jacobs, Elton Jantjies, Patrick Lambie, Helmut Lehmann, Peet Marais, Sampie Mastriet, Sam Mabombo, Wandile Mjekevu, Lubabalo Mtembu, Frederick Muller, Sinovuyo Nyoko, Kenechukwu Okafor, Jono Ross, Nico Scheepers, Louis Schreuder, Lean Schwartz, Sibusiso Sithole, Christiaan Stander, Jaco Taute, Shaun Malton, Gary van Aswegen, Marcell van der Merwe, Hendrik van der Waldt, Francois Venter, Anthony Volmink
Wandile Mjekevu in action for the Lions in the game against the Chiefs, where he scored a hat-trick (Gallo Images)
