| # | POS | NAME | SCHOOL | UNION | A/G |
| 1 | PR-L | Oliver Reid | 1 of 6 Paul Roos | 1 of 10 WP | u20 |
| 2 | PR-L | Phiwayinkosi Khubeka | 1 of 2 Maritzburg College | 1 of 7 Sharks | u20 |
| 3 | PR-L | Kai Pratt | 1 of 2 Oakdale | 2 of 7 Sharks | u19 |
| 4 | PR-T | Sibabalwe Booi | 1 of 1 Ndzondelelo | 1 of 1 Cheetahs | u20 |
| 5 | PR-T | Danie Kruger | 2 of 4 Grey College | 1 of 10 WP | u20 |
| 6 | HK | Esethu Mnebelele | 1 of 2 KES | 1 of 7 Bulls | u20 |
| 7 | HK | Liam van Wyk | 3 of 4 Grey College | 3 of 7 Sharks | u20 |
| 8 | HK | Mahle Sithole | 1 of 1 Durban HS | 1 of 6 Lions | u20 |
| 9 | LK | Heinrich Theron | 3 of 4 Grey College | 2 of 7 Bulls | u20 |
| 10 | LK | James Schnetler | 1 of 1 Garsfontein | 2 of 6 Lions | u20 |
| 11 | LK | Riley Norton | 2 of 6 Paul Roos | 2 of 10 WP | u20 |
| 12 | LK | JD Hattingh | 1 of 2 Affies | 3 of 6 Lions | u20 |
| 13 | N8 | Kebotile Maake | 2 of 2 KES | 3 of 7 Bulls | u20 |
| 14 | LF | Risima Khosa | 2 of 3 Jeppe | 4 of 6 Lions | u20 |
| 15 | LF | Mumbere Vyambwera | 2 of 2 Maritzburg College | 4 of 7 Sharks | u19 |
| 16 | LF | Luke Cannon | 2 of 3 Jeppe | 5 of 6 Lions | u20 |
| 17 | LF | Gert Kemp | 4 of 6 Paul Roos | 3 of 10 WP | u19 |
| 18 | N8 | Reuben Kruger | 4 of 6 Paul Roos | 4 of 10 WP | u20 |
| 19 | SH | Matthew Fick | 1 of 1 St Charles | 4 of 7 Bulls | u20 |
| 20 | SH | Hendre Schoeman | 2 of 2 Affies | 5 of 7 Bulls | u20 |
| 21 | FH | Yaqeen Ahmed | 1 of 1 Wynberg | 5 of 10 WP | u20 |
| 22 | FH | Luan Giliomee | 1 of 1 Charlie Hofmeyr | 5 of 7 Sharks | u20 |
| 23 | CT | Markus Muller | 1 of 1 Paarl Gim | 6 of 10 WP | u19 |
| 24 | CT | Ethan Adams | 4 of 4 Grey College | 6 of 6 Lions | u19 |
| 25 | CT | Christian Vorster | 2 of 2 Oakdale | 6 of 7 Bulls | u19 |
| 26 | CT-O | Samuel Badenhorst | 5 of 6 Paul Roos | 7 of 10 WP | u20 |
| 27 | WG/FB | Dylan Miller | 1 of 1 Rondebosch | 8 of 10 WP | u20 |
| 28 | FB | Zekhethelo Siyaya | 1 of 1 Westville | 6 of 7 Sharks | u19 |
| 29 | CT/WG | Khuthadzo Rasivhaga | 3 of 3 Jeppe | 7 of 7 Sharks | u20 |
| 30 | WG | Jordan Steenkamp | 6 of 6 Paul Roos | 9 of 10 WP | u19 |
| 31 | WG | Lindsey Jansen | 1 of 1 Noordheuwel | 7 of 7 Bulls | u20 |
Not touring
| # | POS | NAME | SCHOOL | UNION | A/G |
| 1 | PR-T | Ruan Smuts | 1 of 2 Affies | 1 of 3 Cheetahs | u20 |
| 2 | PR-T | JG Badenhorst | 1 of 4 Grey College | 2 of 3 Cheetahs | u19 |
| 3 | LK | JP Lombaard | 1 of 2 Helpmekaar | 1 of 8 Bulls | u20 |
| 4 | LK | AJ Meyer | 2 of 4 Grey College | 1 of 6 WP | u19 |
| 5 | LF | Alutha Wesi | 1 of 2 Rondebosch | 2 of 6 WP | u20 |
| 6 | LF | Franko Rossouw | 1 of 1 Secunda | 2 of 8 Bulls | u20 |
| 7 | N8 | Vuyo Gwiji | 1 of 1 Northwood | 1 of 5 Lions | u20 |
| 8 | SH | Denilo Jordaan | 1 of 1 Pearson | 1 of 1 Dbn V Coll | u20 |
| 9 | FH | Alzeadon Felix | 4 of 4 Grey College | 2 of 5 Lions | u20 |
| 10 | CT-I | Pieter vd Merwe | 4 of 4 Grey College | 3 of 8 Bulls | u20 |
| 11 | FB | Reinhardt Viljoen | 1 of 1 Oakdale | 3 of 5 Lions | u19 |
| 12 | WG | Aidan Bester | 1 of 1 Noordheuwel | 1 of 1 Saldanha RFC | u19 |
| 13 | FH | Vusi Moyo | 1 of 1 KES | 1 of 4 Sharks | u20 |
| 14 | CT-I | Janco Purchase | 2 of 2 Affies | 2 of 4 Sharks | u20 |
| 15 | PR-T | Ulrich vd Merwe | 2 of 2 Helpmekaar | 3 of 4 Sharks | u20 |
| 16 | LK | Tom Barnard | 2 of 2 Rondebosch | 3 of 6 WP | u20 |
| 17 | SH | Brooklyn Newman | 1 of 1 Garsfontein | 4 of 8 Bulls | u20 |
| 18 | FB | Akahluwa Boqwana | 1 of 2 Durban HS | 6 of 8 Bulls | u20 |
| 19 | LF | Adan da Costa | 1 of 1 Wynberg | 4 of 6 WP | u20 |
| 20 | SH | Elgernon Meyer | 1 of 1 Outeniqua | 4 of 5 Lions | u20 |
| 21 | FB | Unathi Mlotshwa | 1 of 1 Westville | 7 of 8 Bulls | u20 |
| 22 | PR-L | Aphiwe Shelembe | 1 of 1 Michaelhouse | 8 of 8 Bulls | u20 |
| 23 | CT-O | Gregan Jansen | 1 of 1 Duineveld | 4 of 4 Sharks | u20 |
| 24 | CT/WG | Adriano Jackson | 2 of 2 Durban HS | 5 of 5 Lions | u20 |
| 25 | PR-T | Henry du Plessis | 1 of 2 Paul Roos | 5 of 6 WP | u20 |
| 26 | LF | Bohlala Mapisa | 1 of 1 Maritzburg College | 3 of 3 Cheetahs | u20 |
| 27 | SH | Adeeb Boraine | 2 of 2 Paul Roos | 6 of 6 WP | u20 |
| 28 | FH | Liyema Nela | 1 of 1 Hilton | Bulls | u19 |
| 29 | FH | Owen Erasmus | 1 of 1 Millfield (UK) | Ospreys, Wales | u20 |
@Westville_Boy (Comment #34)
Agreed, but I’d argue that it’s Ahmed that needs to do the dislodging – Moyo’s a World Cup winning flyhalf after all!
@Snelvuur (Comment #33)
Agreed on your team… interested to see how Ahmed goes this weekend… dont forget he was preferred over moyo at SA u18 level.. Moyo will have a mountain to climb if Ahmed kicks off this weekend.. and what i have been told is he is playing very very well!!
@Westville_Boy (Comment #32)
Reckon that’s pretty close to our starting XV for the Rugby Champs, except for Reid, Mnebelele, Moyo and Jooste still to come in, with Kubheka and Van Wyk dropping to the bench, Jansen dropping out and one of Moyo or Ahmed starting and the other on the bench. I think we’ll probably go:
1. Reid
2. Mnebelele
3. Kruger
4. Theron
5. Norton
6. Maake
7. Cannon
8. Kruger
9. Schoeman
10. Moyo
11. Steenkamp
12. Adams
13. Muller
14. Jooste
15. Siyaya
16. Van Wyk
17. Kubheka
18. Booi
19. Schnetler
20. Hattingh
21. Kemp
22. Fick/Giliomee
23. Ahmed/Vorster/Badenhorst/Jansen
I like the option of Giliomee as the back-up 9/10/15. Gives you nice flexibility to go 6/2 and still add another gamebreaker to the bench instead of just covering 9 and 10.
Junior Springbok team to face Georgia in Tbilisi: 15. Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14. Lindsey Jansen, 13. Markus Muller, 12. Ethan Adams, 11. Jordan Steenkamp, 10. Yaqeen Ahmed, 9. Hendre Schoeman, 8. Reuben Kruger, 7. Luke Canon, 6. Kebotile Maake, 5. Riley Norton (captain), 4. Heinrich Theron, 3. Danie Kruger, 2. Liam van Wyk, 1. Rambo Kubheka. Replacements: 16. Kai Pratt, 17. Mahle Sithole, 18. Sibabalwe Booi, 19. James Schnetler, 20 JD Hattingh, 21 Risima Khosa, 22. Mumbere Vyambwera, 23. Gert Kemp, 24. Matthew Fink, 25. Luan Giliomee, 26. Dylan Miller, 27. Christian Vorster, 28. Samuel Badenhorst, 29. Khuthadzo Rasivhaga.
This tour ia a chance for Ahmed to take back that #10. Being in school prevented him from really playing for junior boks last year. He’s always been the premier 10 of hes age group and Moyo will find it tough displacing him ones hes in full flow
I agree, the national team (jnr or snr) is not the place to hide a player’s frailties. If Felix is not up to the physical challenge at 10 – then don’t select him at 10. And if he is not quick enough at 15 – don’t select him at 15. But, if his game is not up to select him at 10, don’t try to hide him at 15, because he will be found out in other areas required from a 15. PS: I don’t think he’ll survive at 15. He is not quick enough, his defensive frailties will be exposed there at international level, just as much as it would be at 10 and I don’t think he will handle a barrage of high balls. He is quite small as well. Not every small player has that heart of a Kolbe or a KLA. His main attribute is his ability to distribute and put players into space – he does that best at 10. Then you have to consider him at 10. And either he steps up his weaknesses or he is simply not good enough.
@Bungee (Comment #28)
I think Amhed has alot of eyes on him for this tour to see if he can make final squad… Moyo should be back by then so can’t see him not going after he has won this once already. Ruben is a class player but had a very disappointing Craven week last year.
I saw Ruben Groenewald is included in the Bulls squad for the friendly game against Boland. Wonder if he could still make a push for the squad. Feels like a very similar player to Moyo.
@Westville_Boy (Comment #26)
Boring, but understandable with the travel and all. We’ll wait for the two games against Georgia. Exciting times!
@Bungee (Comment #25)
It was a 45 minute training. There wasn’t a link. They played 2 hand touch.
@Westville_Boy (Comment #22)
Any clues on that link yet?
On another note, I can genuinely see this side going for a 7/1 or even 8/0 split on the bench. I don’t think we’ll do it since guys like Norton play 80 every time anyway, but if we line up with a backline of:
9. Fick/Schoeman
10. Ahmed
11. Rasivhaga
12. Adams
13. Muller
14. Siyaya
15. Giliomee
And include Kemp on the bench (who legitimately has the speed and athleticism to cover wing in a pinch), you could have Giliomee covering 9 and 10, Siyaya covering 15, Ahmed covering 12, Adams covering 13, Rasivhaga covering 13 and Kemp covering any of the wings. And then you could have two packs:
1. Reid/Khubeka
2. Mnebelele/Van Wyk
3. Booi/Kruger
4. Schnetler/Theron
5. Norton/Hattingh
6. Maake/Khosa
7. Vyambwera/Cannon
8. Kruger/Kemp
@beet (Comment #20)
I think the issue is that running and flair flyhalves also make loads more errors (Kyle Smith’s actually a good example, he conceded 6 turnovers in a single half of rugby in the Currie Cup last year). These errors (largely) go unpunished against weaker opposition at schoolboy level, but are exposed and capitalised on as you go on to higher levels. Badenhorst’s try against Grey in 2024 (when Rabe caught Felix dawdling on the ball and forced a turnover) is a great example of a small error that swung a game (took a Grey attack in PRG’s 22m to 7 points the other way). To succeed as a flyhalf in that mould, you really need to be utterly exceptional (see, e.g., Libbok and SFM) so that your moments of magic can compensate for your error rate. And there are very, very few players at that level. Another factor is that many of these flair flyhalves (like Mostert and Felix) also aren’t reliable goal-kickers, which makes it even more difficult to select them in closer games. I agree on Ahmed, but it might also just be a function of being surrounded with players not quite on his level – Damian Willemse was also individualistic at school, but that was caused, at least in part, by the lack of support he had from PRG’s backline in that year.
@Snelvuur (Comment #17)
I do take passenger back. However there is alot of holes that need to be fixed in his game.. going on another comment I read the games were streamed on Georgia YouTube channel and will chat to someone on the inside for a link and post it on here when it does come out!
Something else I also think of when I see Dylan Miller’s name is how good and dangerous he and his former partner in crime at Bosch – David Simon – were together. Remember the coaching staff had to decide who should play where – flyhalf or fullback. Simon had this amazing performance at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival at 10 and for a long time after that I imagined he had the edge on Miller, but it wasn’t an easy call to make, as they were both so effective.
And now second year out of school, Dylan is thriving but David hasn’t come anywhere close to realising the potential he possessed. Hopefully DS can stay in a post school stream that allows him to turn things around at some point.
The plight of the running flyhalf who once ruled school rugby is becoming an increasingly familiar story. Alzeadon Felix is another sublime performer in that mould. There were spells when he felt like the glue that held Pieter vd Merwe and Ethan Adams together at Grey College. But a broader trend is hard to ignore: being a high-tempo, instinctive playmaker is no longer enough once school rugby is behind you. At the next level, a devastating boot and sound game management tend to count for more.
A few former schoolboy superstars come to mind. Mention Paarl Gim today and Markus Muller is the automatic reference point, but before Markus, Kyle Smith was very much the heartbeat of that side. Many including myself hoped his magic would translate seamlessly beyond school, yet it hit a wobble last season. Go back a bit further and Juan Mostert stands out — a flyhalf with an exceptional feel for the game, almost a Yannick Jauzion type influence at PRG, just operating one channel in. Some will even recall that Affies backline that really cooked, with the flamboyant Ryno Eksteen pulling the strings at flyhalf.
Hopefully these Georgian games get televised, because one player I’ll be watching closely is Yaqeen Ahmed. There’s no denying his quality — a fantastic player and a genuine post-school prospect. That said, while at Berg he has also shown flashes of being an individualist in a position where cohesion and connection are often paramount. How he develops that linking, game-shaping side of his play is something I’m particularly keen to see.
@Westville_Boy (Comment #14)
The reason why I think he is 15 cover, is because the best comparison I have for him at pro-level (or, at least, who I think he should try and emulate) is Willie le Roux. I see the same areas of strengths and weaknesses and same skill set
@Bungee (Comment #10)
Thanks I will add him. I’d also seen Hilton’s Liyema Nela on a practice match teamsheet somewhere during the past few weeks
@Westville_Boy (Comment #16)
I certainly wouldn’t call him a passenger, but yes, I think there are better, more rounded options at both 10 and 15 currently.
@Snelvuur (Comment #15)
I agree. However we no longer talking school boy rugby where you can hide… if he is going to be anywhere in the side he has to be top two or three in the country with no flaws or atleast limited flaws. In such a talented year there isn’t room for passengers and everything you have said sounds like he will just be a passenger…?
@Westville_Boy (Comment #14)
He needs to play 15 to hide his defensive frailties. I also think he’ll be exposed as a playmaker at 10 in tighter games (see, e.g., his game against PRG in 2024). He’ll do very well in the looser structure (or lack thereof) in the Varsity Cup, but I don’t see that working at a higher level. He’s also not a reliable goal kicker and, given that all of our other goal kickers play 10 and wouldn’t be first choice in any other position, he wouldn’t get in there.
@Snelvuur (Comment #12)
Disagree with this he isn’t a 15… not at the highest level where you can hide with speed yoh can’t hide being under the highball you can’t hide your ability to kick… He is talented but he is talented as a distributor and thats pretty much all he brings.. in my opinion.
@Bungee (Comment #6)
Agreed this squad is very exciting. I do believe everyone is there on merit and its hard to argue with any of the selections. I dont agree with the take that Felix is a 15 as what I have been told is he battle to kick out of hand and lacks speed and iffy under the highball.. so I dont see him playing 15 at all in fact… Gilomee will cover 15 but I believe he will start as our ten with Yakhem being on the bench as he cover 10 and 12 and Gilomee gives siyaya that cover if something goes wrong… the beauty of this side there is so many ways the coach can go and I am excited to see what these boys can do at the highest level!!
@Bungee (Comment #8)
I think Felix is more of a fullback option at this level than a flyhalf option. But I doubt that he could cover wing, so that could make it difficult for him to get in. I agree that Meyer still has a shot, but he’s also in a slightly difficult position because Norton plays 5 now, not 4 as he did last year. So it’s probably a shootout between him and Hattingh for the “other” 5-lock slot.
@Bungee (Comment #10)
There is some excitement about him from what I’ve heard. If there’s an injury or two we might still see him.
Owen Erasmus is also in the not touring group
I see Josh Neill is also already in the Ireland u20 Six Nations starting line up.
@Snelvuur (Comment #7)
I see Felix is also carrying a niggle and wasn’t dropped. So he might also come back and challenge for the flyhalf/fullback cover position.
Gwiji in same position, but with the loosies.
I’m not discounting Meyer yet from making the squad either. I think main thing keeping him out at the moment is a bit of physicality, but we all remember how much the team of last year bulked up from this time last year till the JWC. So I seriously expecting bulking to occur with him in the next few months.
@Bungee (Comment #3)
I think the squad is far more settled than that. I think those will be our 5 props going forward and ditto for locks. Only change I can see in the loosies is Gwiji coming back in – not sure who that’ll push out. I think the 2.5 scrumhalves (Giliomee being the .5) are all also safe. Moyo and Ahmed will go as our flyhalves unless something goes seriously wrong. All four of those centres may go or one may drop out because Ahmed covers 12 (probably Vorster). Biggest shake-ups will be in the OBs. Siyaya is is first choice 15 and Jooste will be on the one wing – he’s been favoured on the right wing for the Bulls and Rasivhaga also mainly plays right wing, but I suspect one of them will shift to the left. Depending on how they feel about Giliomee being cover at 15 (and they should feel good about it!), it’ll be a shootout between Miller, Steenkamp and Jansen for the final spot. Steenkamp is the most natural left wing there, while Miller provides more cover at 15 (even though he barely plays there for the u20s).
@Westville_Boy (Comment #5)
Yes true! When I got to him I changed over in my head from guaranteed to make the squad to guaranteed to start, but yes, I think his spot in the squad is 100% secure, and probably at 80% secure to start
@Bungee (Comment #3)
You can add Zekhethelo onto that guarantee list… I thinks its time to acknowledge that he is the best 15 in the country… everyone is look for faults in his game… but he is clearly ticking all the boxers in that squad even the coaches are backing him as the out and out 15…
@Bungee (Comment #2)
Hahaha stop it!! But this is a power team I feel for Aj Meyer but who am I to criticize the coach!!
Other thoughts:
Reserve hooker is possibly the biggest fight we have here, with it being a straight knock-out between van Wyk and Sithole, as I believe it to be very unlikely that both will make the final cut. I would like to see the two of them get the majority of the minutes on this mini-tour.
I like the balance between u/19s and u/20s in the squad, and I believe we will drop 1, maybe 2 for the WC, but this still sets us up for a good core for continuity between yearly tournaments.
A lot of versatility in the squad. Three props that can swing (Rambo, Booi and Reid), Hookers that cover flank (Sithole and van Wyk), locks that can play flank (Norton, Schnetler, Hattingh), all the loosies I feel can cover at least 2 of the loosie positions, and some lock as well, Giliomee that is being worked into a backline multi-tool, Ahmed covers 10 and 12, our centers seem to be able to cover both 12 and 13 and wing.
In my head, the only guys who’s spots are guaranteed, except for injury, are Reid, Khubeka, Mnebelele, Booi, Norton, Theron, Schnetler, Muller, Rasivhaga, and the not selected Moyo and Jooste
@Westville_Boy (Comment #1)
First thought, the ratio of the different schools is back in order
@bungee what are your thoughts??